For Immediate Release
March 21, 2019
Contact: Kit Kerschensteiner, Director of Legal/Advocacy Services (608)-267-0214
Disability Rights Wisconsin Applauds Judge’s Ruling Invalidating
Extraordinary Session Laws.
DRW was pleased with the ruling of the Dane County Circuit Court today which struck down the entirety of the “extraordinary session” as unconstitutional. As part of this ‘extraordinary session’ provisions were adopted that made dramatic changes to Wisconsin’s Medicaid program. Those changes put Wisconsinites with disabilities at risk and undermine DRW’s ability to effectively carry out its federally designated protection and advocacy functions as well as have wide-reaching negative effects on Wisconsin voters, including those with disabilities who rely on early voting.
“As an organization dedicated to the rights of people with disabilities we feel encouraged that the court saw fit to enjoin the legislature’s ‘extraordinary session’ which stops the immediate effect that these laws would have had on individuals who rely on Medicaid services through programs such as Family Care for their well-being and very survival” stated Kit Kerschensteiner, Director of Legal and Advocacy Services at Disability Rights Wisconsin.
While multiple lawsuits have challenged various provisions of the legislation, this lawsuit is the only one that sought to invalidate the entire “extraordinary session” as unconstitutional. It was also the first to reach a hearing on the merits.
Disability Rights Wisconsin is the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy system for the State of Wisconsin, charged with protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities and keeping individuals free from abuse and neglect.
