Medicaid expansion, marijuana legalization and unemployment reform all gone. //end headline wrapper ?>Wisconsin State Capitol. Photo by Mariiana Tzotcheva.
The budget Gov.
Tony Evers introduced in February shrunk dramatically Thursday after GOP lawmakers removed hundreds of the governor’s proposals and trimmed the plan by billions of dollars.
From an expansion of Medicaid, to the legalization of marijuana, to the modernization of Wisconsin’s unemployment system, Republican lawmakers removed 384 of the governor’s budget provisions with a single vote.
The move will reduce the amount of federal money coming into Wisconsin by $2.4 billion and reduce state tax revenue by more than $1 billion compared to what the governor asked for.
Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsin health officials said Thursday that they’ve ordered only a fraction of the COVID-19 vaccine doses the federal government had set aside for the state for next week, another sign of plateauing interest in the shots.
Interest in the vaccine has been waning across the country. President Joe Biden’s administration announced Tuesday that it would shift doses from states with lower demand to states with more interest.
The federal government has allocated 86,580 first doses of the Pfizer vaccine, 65,900 first doses of the Moderna vaccine and 10,200 doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine for the week starting Monday. Wisconsin Department of Health Services spokeswoman Elizabeth Goodsitt said the agency has ordered 9,120 Pfizer doses, 2,070 Moderna doses and just 2,100 Johnson & Johnson doses.
Thursday, May 6, 2021 MADISON, Wis. University of Wisconsin System universities are preparing for the return of precollege and youth programs to campuses this summer with safety protocols in place and in consultation with local and state health authorities. After widespread cancellations of such programs in summer 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wisconsin’s public universities are re-introducing the programs this year as a result of renewed demand, more advanced knowledge of how to contain virus spread, and increasing vaccinations across the state. “UW System is taking steps to safely bring youth back to our campuses for these learning opportunities so they can continue their personal growth and experience what our universities have to offer,” said UW System President Tommy Thompson. “Our health and safety protection efforts for youth programs is a promise not only to the public that entrusts us with their resources, but to the families who entru
By Scott Bauer, Associated Press
May 5, 2021 5:30 PM
MADISON, Wis. (AP) â Republicans who head the Legislatureâs budget committee told Wisconsinâs business leaders on Wednesday that they are optimistic a tax cut will be a part of the next two-year spending plan, although they said details on what type and how much were still being discussed.
Discussion of a tax cut comes as the budget committee plans on Thursday to cut hundreds of Gov. Tony Eversâ proposals from the budget, including $1 billion in tax increases largely on capital gains and manufacturing income. Republicans also plan to turn away Medicaid expansion, which would mean the state would lose out on $1.6 billion over two years in federal money to replace what the state would pay to offer BadgerCare Plus insurance to about 90,000 more low-income people.