REEDSBURG, WI - On Thursday just before the start of the Joint Finance Committee public budget hearing in Reedsburg, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Save the Wisconsin Idea, and United Council of UW Students delivered 35,000 petitions urging acceptance of the federal Medicaid funds to cover more people for less, and prevent devastating cuts to the UW System.

According to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau the Governor’s failure to accept the federal dollars available for BadgerCare not only denies more affordable health coverage to tens of thousands, it also needlessly wastes up to $345 million in state revenue in this budget alone that could be used for other purposes, such as funding the UW System.

The November BadgerCare referendums and recent polling results showing strong majorities of Wisconsinites favor accepting the additional federal funds for BadgerCare.

“The thirty-five thousand petitions delivered today to the Joint Finance Committee add to the overwhelming evidence that the public supports taking the money for BadgerCare and reversing draconian cuts to the UW System,” said Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. “The disastrous decision to turn down federal dollars for BadgerCare is stealing health care access and economic opportunity from tens of thousands of Wisconsinites.”