Legislative Leaders Respond To The Governor’s Special Session Call

MADISON, WI -- Today, Legislative leaders Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester), Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg), Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauna), Senate President Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield), Joint Finance Co-Chairs Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) and Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) released the following statement in response to Governor Evers’ call for a Special Session:

• See: Gov. Evers Calls Special Session To Expand Access To Healthcare, Invest $1 Billion Into State’s Economic Recovery

“In Wisconsin, there is no coverage gap between BadgerCare and the heavily-subsidized federal exchanges. Everyone who wants insurance in our state has access and options,” said Speaker Vos and Leader LeMahieu. “Our unique-to-Wisconsin solution is working, and we will not shift tens of thousands of people off their private insurance to a government-run system.”

“If the Governor were serious about the proposals he packed into this bill, he could fund each one of them today with the mountain of federal funds at his direct disposal,” Leader Steineke and President Kapenga said. “This is a thinly-veiled political maneuver by the Governor. We intend to gavel out this unserious stunt.”

“The Governor says this special session is about BadgerCare, but this bill is nothing more than a mini budget advanced by the Governor because he didn’t get his way through the normal budget process,” Sen. Marklein and Rep. Born said. “The Governor has spent the last few months specifically keeping legislators out of the process. Instead of delivering a serious plan for the expenditure of federal funds, he’s using his time and energy creating division. The Finance committee will continue our work to craft a serious budget that funds Wisconsin priorities and respects taxpayers.”