State Capitol
Darling reiterates support for SeniorCare
State Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills), co-chair of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, on Wednesday reiterated her support for SeniorCare, the state prescription drug program. Her comments came during a budget briefing with Dennis Smith, secretary of the Department of Health Services.(MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/7)
Walker taps insurance fund to fill in deficit
Gov. Scott Walker’s new budget-repair bill would take money from a state insurance fund that might otherwise go toward holding down state employees’ health care costs. (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/5)
State stops collecting union dues, starts charging more for health care
Gov. Scott Walker’s administration no longer is collecting dues on behalf of state unions and, as of Sunday, is charging employees more for their pensions and health care, even though nonpartisan legislative attorneys say the changes are not yet law. acking up the administration, the state Department of Justice argued that the new law – which eliminates most collective bargaining for public workers – is in effect and asked a judge to vacate a restraining order against the law. Meanwhile, a Dane County prosecutor asked a judge to declare that the law is not now in place. (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 3/29)
La Follette says union law not in effect, Walker official disagrees
Secretary of State Doug La Follette said Saturday that the budget-repair bill has not taken effect because it has not been published by his office. He added the law cannot take effect until he directs publication in the official state newspaper, the Wisconsin State Journal. Normally, a bill takes effect the day after publication. And Saturday, DOA Secretary Mike Huebsch said in a written statement: “Upon the advice of my legal counsel, the Department of Administration will begin the process of implementing (the law) as we are required to do the day after a bill is lawfully published. We are mindful that this Act is continuing to be litigated and we will continue to be responsive to the courts as the law begins to be applied.” (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 3/28)
SEIU seriously weakened by budget-repair law
The new state budget-repair law, which removed most of the collective bargaining ability of public workers, contains two provisions that weaken one of the country’s most politically active unions: the Service Employees International Union. The provisions affect about half of the 15,000 people in SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin. They include 1,900 nurses and other workers at UW Hospital and Clinics, which does not directly receive state funds, and about 5,500 independent home care workers who had a pending contract with the state. The union also represents about 1,100 nurses and others who work for the state in mental health hospitals, corrections and other areas. (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 3/25)
Walker to roll out rest of budget repair bill
Gov. Scott Walker is expected Thursday to roll out the unpassed pieces of his budget repair bill, including a plan to refinance about $165 million in bonds. The move comes a month after Walker held a press conference and said layoffs would result if his bill wasn’t passed by the end of February. (WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL, 3/24)
$134 million Medicaid budget gap remains unplugged
Wisconsin’s $134 million budget gap in Medicaid for this year, which Gov. Scott Walker’s original budget repair bill would have plugged, remains under the version of the bill Walker signed. “We need to get that fixed,” said Dennis Smith, secretary of the state Department of Health Services. “The alternative is we run out of money and providers don’t get paid.” (WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL, 3/23)
Berry: Medicaid expansion primary reason for budget woes
The proposed state budget is the end result of short-term fixes, a crawling economy and growing state programs that make the status quo unsustainable, a policy expert said Monday. Todd Berry, president of the nonpartisan group Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, said an array of factors has drained the state’s financial health, but pointed most notably to Medicaid, a quick-fix attitude and a lack of new investment in Wisconsin. (WAUSAU DAILY HERALD, 3/22)
Walker's plan to change contraceptive coverage rule met with praise, suspicion and indifference
Anti-abortion advocates applaud Gov. Scott Walker’s budget provision that would allow insurance companies to again choose whether to cover birth control. But industry officials say it’s unlikely many plans would drop contraceptive coverage. Phil Dougherty, senior executive officer at the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans, said most of the insurance plans in Wisconsin offered coverage prior to the mandate. (WAUSAU DAILY HERALD, 3/22)
Family-planning funding faces cuts
Women’s health advocates are rallying against provisions of Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed state budget they say would severely cripple the availability of family planning and sexual health services to low-income populations. The proposal would reduce funding for sexual assault victim services and pregnant woman smoking cessation program First Breath and repeal the Contraceptive Equity law that prevented insurance companies from denying coverage of prescription birth control, said Sara Finger, executive director of the Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health. (WISCONSIN RAPIDS TRIBUNE, 3/22)
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