Contact: Beth Swedeen, (608) 266-1166 Friday afternoon the legislature released a package of bills for the first time, some of which could have significant consequences for people with disabilities and their families. The bills would limit the authority of the new Governor to make changes to state programs, including Medicaid waiver programs, and make significant changes to voting laws. AB 1072 would make it much harder to make changes and improvements to Wisconsin’s Medicaid waivers and Medicaid services, programs like Family Care, IRIS, Children’s Long-Term Support, intensive autism services, Katie Beckett, MAPP and more. “AB 1072 creates real consequences Medicaid participants

Contact: Cass Bowers, ACLU of Wisconsin, 414-272-4032, ext. 217, media@aclu-wi.org At its meeting, December 1st, the ACLU of Wisconsin’s Board of Directors strongly condemned the unfair spirit and underhanded manner in which the hundreds of pages of proposed changes were issued by the legislature during a lame duck session. This costly legislative overreach seeks to harm Wisconsin families by changing laws pertaining to insurance, elections, and other issues essential to our state. Drafting sweeping legislation behind closed doors to change the rules after an election violates the public’s trust, and their right to know and be heard, which are rooted in the first

Indivisible Madison calls for people statewide to  ”Pack the Capitol” for the JFC Hearing on Mon., Dec. 3 at 12:30 pm – and the #RESPECTMYVOTE rally on Mon., Dec. 3 at 5:30pm Wisconsin Republican leaders will not #RESPECTMYVOTE. These elected officials refuse to accept election results that saw Democrats take every statewide office. A 141-page bill introduced in extraordinary session would consolidate power with the GOP-controlled legislature. It virtually overturns Wisconsin voters’ call for new leadership. This is nothing less than a coup. Indivisible Madison is leading the resistance to the GOP leaders’ proposals. They have called for voters from all over

Contact: Bobby Peterson, (608)261-6939 ext. 201 or Brynne McBride (608)261-6939 ext. 210 Madison, WI – This week, the Wisconsin Legislature intends to pass what it calls “preexisting condition protections” in a lame duck legislative session. If it’s anything like the previous bill that failed to make it out of the Wisconsin Senate, “it’s a rotten egg,” says Bobby Peterson, Public Interest Attorney at ABC for Health. “Walker’s language will dilute and disconnect preexisting condition protections from the ACA,” continues Peterson, “The very protections that Walker directed the state to sue to eliminate.” Peterson says, “The ACA included more comprehensive protections, with explicit

Contact: Ron Boehmer 202-225-2906 MADISON, WI – Today, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) released the following statement regarding Wisconsin’s Joint Finance Committee taking up legislation today aimed at weakening the authority of incoming Democratic officials. “Wisconsin Republicans’ shameful and undemocratic last-minute attempt to override the vote of the people is more becoming of a third world dictatorship than the birthplace of Fighting Bob La Follette and it must be stopped. Jamming the last days of the legislative session with voter suppression legislation and attempts at undermining the agenda of a newly elected Governor and Attorney General is a blatant attempt to override the vote by the

Contact: Michael Cain; 608.225.6071 cainmjc@gmail.com Proposed Legislation Will Increase Workload and Costs and Hurt Performance for State Agencies Madison, WI – Extraordinary Session Bill AB 1070 contains provisions that will significantly constrain the work of executive agencies throughout state government. As an organization comprised of many former and active state employees, Wisconsin’s Green Fire understands that some of these provisions, if enacted, are likely to create un-intended consequences that will compromise effective performance and ultimately harm the citizens and stakeholders the agencies are supposed to serve. State Agencies rely extensively on handbooks, manuals, and directives, collectively known as “guidance documents”