Contact: Rep. Quinn (888) 534-0075
Madison – Representative Romaine Quinn (R-Rice Lake) released the following response to Governor Walker’s 2018 State of the State address:
Republican leadership in Madison has shown that careful stewardship of our fiscal and other resources can yield great returns for everyone in Wisconsin. In the last year, unemployment has fallen to historic lows, the non-partisan Fiscal Bureau has projected larger-than-expected budget surpluses, and investment in K-12 education and broadband expansion are at historic highs. These are all results that directly benefit people in the 75th Assembly District.
But as Governor Walker said on Wednesday, we have more to do – and I’m excited about some of the great policy that’s coming.
The Governor has called a special session to address health care concerns. The Assembly has already passed a bill to ensure that no one with pre-existing conditions will be able to be denied coverage, and I hope the Senate will take up the bill soon. We’re going to permanently preserve Senior Care, making sure our elderly don’t have to worry about losing their benefits. But we also have to make sure that those who have been hurt by the Affordable Care Act are taken care of. For far too many people on the exchanges, rates have skyrocketed. Governor Walker announced a re-insurance plan to help make sure they are not punished because of a bad law passed by Washington.
The Governor also took a page from the Rural Wisconsin Initiative’s playbook, announcing a $50 million Rural Economic Development Fund. According to Governor Walker, this fund will “support the development of new businesses and the expansion of small businesses in rural areas. And it can assist in training more people to fill the positions being created by employers in rural areas.”
I’m proud to see the Governor continuing the bold reforms that have done so much to move Wisconsin forward. I look forward to the agenda he has laid out and to having public discussions and committee hearings on these items.