14th AD GOP primary candidate Shevey backs Medicaid expansion if state not required to pay it back

Republican 14th AD primary candidate Steven Shevey thinks “there’s no reason we shouldn’t be taking” federal dollars to expand Medicaid, so long as the state wouldn’t have to pay it back.

Shevey, a 23-year-old Brookfield electrician, told WisPolitics.com in an interview that he’s running in the competitive Milwaukee suburban district to make sure lawmakers tackle rising drug costs and hospital bills, and also boost investments in public education.

“I haven’t read much about (Medicaid expansion), but as long as we don’t have to pay back that money, then yes we should be taking it if it’s free money to help out our state,” he said. “There’s no reason we shouldn’t be taking that free money and using it to help out seniors.”

Additionally, Shevey said he would support portions of Dem Gov. Tony Evers’ bills introduced in June to establish new police standards limiting deadly force and no-knock searches. But he said he would be against Evers’ plan to ban police chokeholds, comparing the move to techniques football players use to effectively bring down opponents.

“Putting a limit on how officers can effectively apprehend someone without getting hurt, I feel is not what we should be doing,” he said.

Shevey also said he’s in favor of recent calls to redirect police to efforts like community services and mental health programs.

Instead of lowering police department budgets, however, he argued the money should be used to create another police branch filled with “psychologists or social workers in there to handle home disputes.”

In 2018, he ran as an independent for the 14th AD and garnered 1.18 percent of the vote.

Shevey is in a three-way GOP primary race against community organizer Bonnie Lee and Elmbrook School Board member Linda Ann Boucher.

Lee had canceled an interview with WisPolitics.com and declined to reschedule. Boucher didn’t respond to requests to set up an interview.

Whoever wins will face incumbent first-time Rep. Robyn Vining, D-Wauwatosa, in the November general election.

Listen to Shevey’s Interview:
https://soundcloud.com/wispolitics/wispoliticscom-14-ad-candidate-interview-steven-shevey