http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/women-health-services1-s5.jpgHealthcare centers, free clinics, and others providing critical care have been hit hard during the pandemic, and program will help fill the gaps and build back stronger for the future.

HealthNet of Rock County to expand their services at a new building on Franklin Street, other critical healthcare services funded.

JANESVILLE — Gov. Tony Evers announced on Wednesday more than $4 million from the Healthcare Infrastructure Capital Investment Grant Program has been awarded to support expanding access to quality healthcare services in the Janesville and Edgerton communities. 

“Making sure that critical healthcare services—from dental care to orthopedics to mental healthcare—are accessible to families and individuals in every zip code is essential to ensuring we are building healthier communities across our state for years to come,” said Gov. Evers. “So, I am glad to be awarding these funds today to support two great projects in the Janesville and Edgerton communities that will do just that with new facilities that will provide central hubs for patients to receive care close to home.”

Of the more than $4 million investment announced today, more than $1.1 million will be going to HealthNet of Rock County to expand their services at a new building on Franklin Street. This new facility will centralize services to reduce transportation burdens on patients, while almost doubling HealthNet’s capacity to provide care to uninsured individuals and triple the dental clinic capacity, as well as expand care for women and low-income individuals. Additionally, today, more than $3.8 million was awarded to Edgerton Hospital and Health Services to support a new facility in a more central location for patients. This new facility will increase access to mental healthcare for seniors and general mental healthcare, pain management resources, pediatric services, and orthopedics. 

Part of a more than $285 million investment allocated by the governor for community capital projects statewide, the Healthcare Infrastructure Capital Investment Grant Program was first announced in August 2021, alongside the Neighborhood Investment Fund Grant Program awarded last week. 

The Healthcare Infrastructure Capital Investment Grant Program is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) and funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), with grants ranging in size from $158,000 to a maximum of $20 million. Applications opened on Oct. 26, 2021, and closed on Nov. 30, 2021. Additional information can be found on the program website. Recipients of the Healthcare Infrastructure Capital Investment Grant Program will be announced on a rolling basis throughout this week. A full list of grant awardees will be released later today. 

Wisconsinites can visit BadgerBounceback.wi.gov to view pandemic-related assistance information for families, farmers, businesses, organizations, and communities, as well as the latest data and success stories about how COVID-relief investments are making a difference across the state. For updates on other recovery-related grant opportunities, sign up for the Badger Bounceback update list.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/vets-gi-bill-s432.jpgMilitary medical personnel may use their medical skills and training in the community and active-duty service members, their spouses and children, are allowed in-state tuition for higher education.

Assembly Democrats introduce package to give local law enforcement the funding and statutory changes they need to ensure safer neighborhoods.

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin Democrats continue to advance common-sense policies to support stronger and safer communities with the recent introduction of Attorney General Josh Kaul’s Safer Wisconsin package by Assembly Democrats.

Safer Wisconsin is a comprehensive set of proposals to invest in a broad array of public safety programs. With the pandemic having strained already under-resourced local services, now is the time to support local communities with the funding and statutory changes they need to ensure safer neighborhoods.

Attorney General Kaul’s Safer Wisconsin package would ensure that local law enforcement has the resources to:

1. Strengthen community trust and prevent crime. Safer Wisconsin proposes significant investments in community policing and prosecution, violence prevention programs, victim services, and re-entry programs that reduce recidivism. It also would provide additional funding for law enforcement training and ongoing state funding for school safety.
2. Keep guns out of the hands of people who’ve been shown to be dangerous. Safer Wisconsin would tackle gun violence by expanding background checks, prohibiting ghost guns, increasing the felony classification for repeat felon-in-possession and straw purchasing offenses, and authorizing judges to issue extreme risk protection orders.
3. Addressing substance use disorders and mental health crises. Safer Wisconsin would expand treatment and diversion programs, expand substance use disorder treatment in prisons and jails, provide ongoing funding for regional drug prosecutors, and invest in crisis response teams.
4. Holding offenders accountable. Safer Wisconsin makes reforms to ensure that sexual assault kits are submitted to the state crime labs, as well as implements new initatives such as the creation of a hate crime hotline. It would also invest in violent crime investigators and prosecutors at DOJ, and create a grant program to support officer recruitment and retention programs.

“Wisconsin’s families deserve safe and strong neighborhoods, and that’s the vision of Attorney General Kaul’s Safer Wisconsin,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler. “While Republicans obstruct and divide in an attempt to score political points, Democrats are working to deliver common-sense solutions and address the priorities Wisconsinites care about. We applaud Attorney General Kaul’s work to deliver Safer Wisconsin, and we urge Robin Vos and Republican politicians in the Legislature to bring the Assembly back into session to take up these much-needed reforms – there’s just too much work left to be done before anyone takes a vacation.”

Marshfield Medical Center-Park Falls Critical Access Hospital targeted for transformational upgrades to modernize the facility and enhance the quality of care for patients.

PARK FALLS — Gov. Tony Evers announced Wednesday $20 million from the Healthcare Infrastructure Capital Investment Grant Program will support facility upgrades and modernization at the Marshfield Medical Center-Park Falls, which is a critical access hospital of Marshfield Clinic Health System, to expand access to quality healthcare for rural communities that have been historically underserved. 

“This healthcare facility bridges an important gap in healthcare access in the Park Falls community, and they would not be able to continue to provide care without some critically needed upgrades and modernization,” said Gov. Evers. “This investment will allow them to keep providing high-quality care in the community, and I am glad to support this project today and to continue supporting the health and well-being of folks in the Park Falls area.”

The Marshfield Medical Center-Park Falls Critical Access Hospital was built in 1966, and this $20 million investment will support substantial and transformational upgrades to modernize the facility and enhance the quality of care for patients. This facility also bridges an important gap in healthcare coverage in rural Wisconsin as the next closest medical facility is more than an hour away, and these funds will allow the facility to stay open to continue to serve the community and bridge this gap, while keeping jobs in the area and helping to attract and retain new medical professionals. 

Part of a more than $285 million investment allocated by the governor for community capital projects statewide, the Healthcare Infrastructure Capital Investment Grant Program was first announced in August 2021, alongside the Neighborhood Investment Fund Grant Program awarded last week. Park Falls also received more than $5.6 million through the Neighborhood Investment Fund Grant Program for the construction of a new YMCA facility in the community. 

The Healthcare Infrastructure Capital Investment Grant Program is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) and funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), with grants ranging in size from $158,000 to a maximum of $20 million. Applications opened on Oct. 26, 2021, and closed on Nov. 30, 2021. Additional information can be found on the program website. Recipients of the Healthcare Infrastructure Capital Investment Grant Program will be announced on a rolling basis throughout this week. A full list of grant awardees will be released later today. 

Wisconsinites can visit BadgerBounceback.wi.gov to view pandemic-related assistance information for families, farmers, businesses, organizations, and communities, as well as the latest data and success stories about how COVID-relief investments are making a difference across the state. For updates on other recovery-related grant opportunities, sign up for the Badger Bounceback update list.

Amendment to SB 361 to regulate and address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Wisconsin’s groundwater system struck down by Republican votes.

Madison, WI – Tuesday during Senate session, Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) introduced for consideration Senate Bill 361, legislation would regulate and address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Wisconsin’s groundwater system. The amendment was struck down.

Senator Melissa Agard released the following statement:

“Having access to clean, usable water is a human right.

“Unfortunately, water in Wisconsin is contaminated with PFAS—harmful chemicals that can have significant adverse health effects in people, from certain types of cancers to infertility and development delays in children. No corner of Wisconsin is untouched by PFAS. As recently as last week, the drinking water in Wausau tested above our recommended state standards for these forever chemicals.

“Communities all across our state are being harmed—from Marinette and Wausau to La Crosse and Madison, we are facing a public health crisis from a lack of clean water. My Republican colleagues have had numerous opportunities to do the right thing and take action for clean water. Yet again today, they have failed to help Wisconsinites with one of the most pressing issues our state is facing right now as a collective.

“Wisconsin has the potential to be the gold standard for water quality, and we need real leadership to take a stand. Clean water should not be a partisan issue—no family should have unsafe drinking water or be exposed to health-hazardous chemicals. We cannot wait another session to address something as fundamental as clean water.”

New clinic in Elroy will expand access to quality healthcare in rural community

HILLSBORO — Gov. Tony Evers announced Tuesday more than $6 million from the Healthcare Infrastructure Capital Investment Grant Program will support a new clinic in Elroy to expand access to quality healthcare for rural communities that have been historically underserved. 

“As the COVID-19 pandemic only further highlighted, getting access to high-quality healthcare can be a challenge, especially in rural areas of the state where patients have to travel farther for care,” said Gov. Evers. “Thanks to great collaboration between Gundersen St. Joseph’s Hospital and Clinics and the local Elroy community, folks in Elroy won’t have to travel very far. The new clinic in Elroy will bridge an important gap in rural healthcare access, providing a new and improved space for high-quality care in the community and I am glad to support this project with these critical grant funds.”

Of the more than $6 million announced Tuesday, more than $2.1 million has been awarded to the city of Elroy to make critical infrastructure improvements to the downtown area to support the construction of the new clinic, including street and utility work in the area. The remaining more than $4 million has been awarded to Gundersen St. Joseph’s Hospital and Clinics for the construction of the new clinic facility. This new facility will provide pharmacy services, chiropractic services, and behavioral healthcare, as well as regular exams and procedures with nine new exam rooms, a lab, and a procedure room. 

Part of a more than $285 million investment allocated by the governor for community capital projects statewide, the Healthcare Infrastructure Capital Investment Grant Program was first announced in August 2021, alongside the Neighborhood Investment Fund Grant Program awarded last week. 

The Healthcare Infrastructure Capital Investment Grant Program is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) and funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), with grants ranging in size from $158,000 to a maximum of $20 million. Applications opened on Oct. 26, 2021, and closed on Nov. 30, 2021. Additional information can be found on the program website. Recipients of the Healthcare Infrastructure Capital Investment Grant Program will be announced on a rolling basis throughout this week. A full list of grant awardees will be released in the coming days. 

Wisconsinites can visit BadgerBounceback.wi.gov to view pandemic-related assistance information for families, farmers, businesses, organizations, and communities, as well as the latest data and success stories about how COVID-relief investments are making a difference across the state. For updates on other recovery-related grant opportunities, sign up for the Badger Bounceback update list.

As gas prices near $4 per gallon in Wisconsin and national inflation is highest in four decades, Republicans refuse to consider governor’s plan to send every Wisconsin family of four $600

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers slammed Republicans in the Wisconsin State Legislature on Tuesday for refusing to even consider the governor’s plan to send every Wisconsin family of four $600 to help address rising costs at gas pumps and in grocery store aisles as businesses and industries face challenges getting supplies and resources. A report released last month showed national inflation is the highest it has been in four decades. According to the American Automobile Association, the average price of gas in Wisconsin is currently $3.942 per gallon compared to $3.377 just one week ago on March 1, 2022, and $2.646 per gallon at this time last year.

In January 2022, the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) released new projections indicating the state general fund balance will have a $3.8 billion surplus at the end of the 2021-23 biennium—nearly $2.9 billion more than was expected in June 2021. Additionally, the state currently has the highest-ever positive GAAP balance in state history at more than $1.1 billion while the state’s ‘rainy day’ fund sits at the highest level ever at $1.7 billion. Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s unemployment rate is at historic lows while the state currently has the fewest number of people who are unemployed ever.

Following the new projections, Gov. Evers announced a plan to refund the projected surplus to Wisconsin taxpayers, sending every Wisconsin resident a $150 surplus refund to help support Wisconsinites who are feeling the squeeze of rising costs of everyday items. Under the governor’s plan, every Wisconsinite would have received the full surplus refund, including for each of their dependents. A family of four, for example, would have received $600 under the governor’s proposal. Most Wisconsinites would have had to take no action to receive the refund, which would have been distributed through information provided by an individual on their tax returns.

After Republicans in the Legislature rebuffed the governor’s proposal, suggesting they would delay using any of the state’s historic surplus until the next biennial budget, which will likely not be passed until the summer of 2023, Gov. Evers announced in his State of the State address that he would sign an executive order calling the Legislature into a special session to take action on his surplus refund plan. 

Despite the urgent needs facing Wisconsinites and the state, Legislative Republicans today gaveled out of Gov. Evers’ special session to provide surplus refunds to every Wisconsinite in seconds without a single moment of consideration or debate. 

“Wisconsinites are feeling the pressure of rising costs, and they need action now—today—not months from now or a year from now,” said Gov. Evers. “Republicans are selfishly playing politics by sitting on a projected $3.8 billion surplus until next year while the people of this state watch prices on everyday items go up and gas is almost $4 a gallon. This is the people’s money. We should be doing the right thing and getting it back to them.”

In addition to measures aimed at addressing rising costs, Gov. Evers’ plan also included additional provisions aimed at reducing costs for childcare and caregiving—key proposals that would have helped support Wisconsin’s workforce and address barriers to employment. Gov. Evers’ plan proposed expanding the newly created Child and Dependent Care Credit from 50 percent of the federal credit to 100 percent. This would have provided nearly $30 million in tax relief to 107,000 Wisconsinites who claim the federal credit, or about $274 per filer. Most people eligible for the credit would have received up to $600 if they were claiming it for one qualifying individual’s expenses or $1,200 for two or more qualifying individuals’ expenses. Additionally, Gov. Evers proposed creating an income tax credit for qualified expenses incurred by a family caregiver. A majority of Wisconsinites are in income ranges that would have made them eligible for the credit and most filers would have received up to $500, while married-separate filers would have received up to $250. Moreover, the governor’s plan would have provided an estimated more than $100 million in tax relief to Wisconsinites who are experiencing increased costs and expenses caring for a family member. The governor originally proposed creating the Caregiver Tax Credit in his 2021-23 biennial budget, but the move was ultimately rejected by Republicans in the Legislature then, too. 

Finally, the governor’s plan would have also invested nearly $750 million into education at every level to continue improving school quality and address the state’s achievement gap while providing $188 million in property tax relief. Importantly, Gov. Evers’ plan would have also ensured the state met federal requirements and preserved more than $2.3 billion in federal aid for Wisconsin’s kids and schools. These funds have previously been jeopardized by the Legislature’s failure to meaningfully invest in education through the biennial budget process, and in January 2022, the LFB released a separate memo indicating the state is projected to fail to meet federal requirements for K-12 education funding in fiscal year 2022-23. Today’s failure by Legislative Republicans to act puts the state at risk of losing billions in federal funds for schools, again.

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A full description of the provisions included in Gov. Evers’ surplus plan that was rejected by Republicans Tuesday is available here.

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers Tuesday released a statement regarding the passing of former Lt. Gov. Margaret Farrow who passed away today, March 8, 2022, at the age of 87. 

“Kathy and I are very saddened to hear of the passing of former Lieutenant Governor Margaret Farrow, whose distinguished career and service to the people of Wisconsin will go down in our state’s history books. Former Lieutenant Governor Farrow and I served on the Board of Regents together, and I was always grateful for her perspective and her kindness,” said Gov. Evers. “We offer our deepest sympathies and respects to her husband, John, County Executive Farrow, all the members of the Farrow family, as well as the many friends, neighbors, and colleagues who knew and loved her. We are thinking of them and wish them peace in mourning her loss.”

Former Lt. Gov. Farrow, mother of Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow, served as the 42nd lieutenant governor of the state of Wisconsin under former Gov. Scott McCallum in 2001, making her the first woman to hold the position in Wisconsin state history. Prior to her service as lieutenant governor, she served for more than a decade in the Wisconsin State Legislature, including terms in both the Wisconsin State Assembly (1986-1989) and the Wisconsin State Senate (1989-2001). She also served on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents (2013-2017).

A forthcoming executive order will lower the U.S. and Wisconsin flags to honor former Lt. Gov. Farrow when funeral arrangements have been announced.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/gas-pumps-s450.jpgGovernor Evers calls for urgent congressional action as average gas price per gallon in Wisconsin nears $4