http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/assembly-wi-robin-vos-s450.jpgSenator Smith takes you inside government in Madison, where rhetoric and hypocrisy often cloud real motives and the urgent needs of the people get lost in the shuffle.

EAU CLAIRE, WI - Since 2017, the University of Wisconsin System has been under what we might call a restructuring. It began with integrating the UW 2-year campuses with UW four-year institutions and assigning divisions within UW-Extension to UW-Madison and UW System Administration.

This new arrangement appeared to be a way to stabilize the 2-year campuses until November of 2022 when President Jay Rothman announced the closure of the UW-Platteville at Richland campus. This campus resides in the 17th Senate District which is currently represented by Howard Marklein. Senator Marklein (R-Spring Green) happens to be co-chair of our Joint Committee on Finance. This position made it convenient for Sen. Marklein to slip $20 million for redevelopment of the now closed Richland County campus in the last budget.

Sadly, UW-Platteville at Richland wasn’t the only campus closure in the state so Governor Evers used his veto pen to open up funding for other two-year campuses closing. In short, the governor removed the senseless restrictions on how these funds could be used.

Jumping ahead to 2024, and the Chippewa Valley suffered a terrible blow with sudden, unexpected closures of two hospitals and multiple clinics owned and managed by the HSHS health system. For most of this year, we have been wrestling with the consequences of these closures.

Thankfully, the legislature and Governor Evers repurposed $15 million already slated to be used by HSHS for a new grant program aimed at helping other Chippewa Valley health care companies to meet the needs of our community through this crisis. During this process, Republicans attempted to unnecessarily restrict the use of these funds to only capital costs for emergency rooms, despite numerous pleas for broader use of the funds by providers. Similar to the campus closure case, Governor Evers used his veto pen to remove the restrictions so the funds could be available for more services such as mental health, OBGYN, and more. Again, we see the governor removing senseless restrictions on how these funds can be used.

The governor’s action on the HSHS bill has caused quite a stir among the Republicans who made claims they could not move that money to DHS now since the governor had vetoed their intentions for the money. Senator Marklein, in particular, made comments saying he wished he could do something but he didn’t know how he could move the money along since the governor vetoed their original intentions. I heard this claim in a press conference and on the Senate floor. The chairs of the Finance Committee have refused to accept the Department of Health Services’ 13.10 request for those funds as well as the governor’s pleas to meet and approve this simple request.

Last week, the Joint Committee on Finance met and passed Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s 13.10 Request to Fund Branch Campus Redevelopment Grants. Richland Center’s campus will get their millions of dollars thanks to the finance committee’s action to accept this request. Isn’t it odd how, in this case, there was no whining that a partial veto changed the intent of their original bill?

Senator Marklein didn’t hesitate to move the funds needed in HIS district for economic development, but when faced with almost the exact same financial situation in the Chippewa Valley, he refused and claimed it is an action he cannot take.

You may be tired of hearing about the hospital closures and the $15 million being held up in finance. You may be disgusted and confused by the back and forth between Republicans and Democrats over the money. I don’t blame you. But, you need to know the truth. We can’t let deceitful politicians slide by hoping that you won’t notice when they are pulling a fast one on you. Those of us in the Chippewa Valley can’t, and won’t, let them forget about the healthcare crisis we continue to face.

Senator Smith represents District 31 in the Wisconsin State Senate. The 31st Senate District includes all of Buffalo, Pepin and Trempealeau counties and portions of Pierce, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson and St. Croix counties.