Gov. Evers, Gov. Whitmer, and Gov. Walz: Trump administration must purchase more vaccines, allow states to purchase directly

MADISON —​ Gov. Tony Evers with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar expressing their frustrations with the Trump administration’s botched COVID-19 vaccine distribution and urged him to grant permission for states to directly purchase doses of the safe and effective vaccine. The governors also urged the Trump administration to purchase as many doses of the safe and effective vaccine as possible so states can get more shots in arms in the coming weeks. “It has become abundantly clear that not only has the Trump administration botched the rollout of

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Rewind: Your Week in Review for Jan. 15

On this week’s episode of “Rewind,” WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters discuss the State of the State address and the GOP response, the latest on the COVID-19 vaccination rollout and the congressional impeachment vote.

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FRI REPORT: Evers plans to extend mask mandate as state ramps up vaccination efforts

Subscribers: There will be no WisPolitics.com products on Monday due to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Products will resume Tuesday. Quotes of the Week This past year brought to bear the inaction of my predecessors and members of this and previous legislatures who avoided their responsibility and duty for far too long. Well, I’ll tell you this: it’s gone on long enough. It ends tonight. -… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options. Username or E-mail Password *

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ACLU of Wisconsin calls on Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes to address COVID deaths in prisons

MILWAUKEE — The ACLU of Wisconsin, and 18 other organizations, sent a letter to Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes today, asking him to address the pandemic inside Wisconsin prisons, and calling on him to push Gov. Tony Evers to use his clemency powers to release vulnerable people at higher risk of suffering adverse COVID-19 complications, as well as those who are already within six months to a year of their mandatory release.  Since the pandemic began, the ACLU of Wisconsin and its coalition partners have called on Gov. Tony Evers and Secretary Kevin Carr to immediately use the power granted to

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Sen. Nass: Statement on Gov. Evers new emergency declaration and mask mandate, Nass offers joint resolution to end immediately

Senator Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) issued the following statement in response to Governor Evers announcing another excessive emergency declaration and mask mandate that would last through March 2021:   “The time has come for the Wisconsin Legislature to stand up for civil liberties and put an end to the excessive actions of Governor Evers to control the people of this state with unending Covid-19 emergency declarations.  I will be offering a joint resolution that would immediately end the new emergency declaration and any orders issued from it.  Wisconsin law allows the duly elected members of the Legislature, by joint resolution, to

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Rep. Shankland: Our constituents deserve action on unemployment reform

MADISON- Earlier this week, Governor Tony Evers signed an executive order calling on the Wisconsin Legislature to convene in a special session to discuss legislation to modernize our state’s unemployment insurance system. Republican legislative leadership responded shortly thereafter by issuing a joint statement rejecting the call to convene. Rep. Katrina Shankland (D-Stevens Point) issued the following statement in response: “My Republican colleagues and I agree that it is unacceptable for folks in our state to experience such significant hurdles and delays when accessing the unemployment benefits they are eligible for. Throughout this pandemic, we’ve seen how delays can affect our

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Rep. Emerson: Statement of support for Gov. Evers’ plan to upgrade Wisconsin’s unemployment system

MADISON – In his State of the State address this week, Governor Evers called for a special session of the Legislature to vote on a $5 million plan to upgrade Wisconsin’s unemployment system. Legislative Republicans have opposed the upgrade. Representative Jodi Emerson (D-Eau Claire) issued the following statement in response: “Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit our state, Wisconsin has faced an unprecedented influx of unemployment claims. Unfortunately, our outdated unemployment system was not prepared for an economic crisis and could not handle this volume of claims. My office has worked with hundreds of constituents to help them navigate the system and get the relief

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Sen. Testin urges Gov. Evers to partner with experts to distribute vaccine

Madison, WI – This week, Wisconsin fell to dead last among Midwestern states in COVID-19 vaccination administration rate. In the wake of this troubling news, Senator Patrick Testin (Stevens Point) reiterated that Governor Evers should accept Governor Tommy Thompson’s offer of assistance from the state’s university system. “The Evers administration has struggled to implement vital programs related to the pandemic; it’s past time for the Governor to accept help from experts,” said Senator Testin. “Governor Thompson has offered his experience – fourteen years as Governor and four years as the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary – and the resources of

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Waukesha County, ProHealth Care and local schools partner to vaccinate school nurses and phase 1A school staff

(Waukesha, WI)- Today, school nurses and health aides from Waukesha County area schools are beginning to receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Access to the vaccine is the result of an offer from ProHealth Care, who is partnering with Waukesha County Public Health and local school districts to ensure their Phase 1A priority groups can be vaccinated safely and efficiently. Hundreds of school nurses and aides who care for students when they become ill are eligible to be vaccinated. “Keeping schools open and providing safe access to education is one of the most important things we can do right now,”

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Gov. Evers: DHS assisted living facilities will begin federal pharmacy partnership program to receive COVID-19 vaccines

Gov. Tony Evers today announced the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has officially activated Part B of the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program, which provides COVID-19 vaccinations to Wisconsin assisted living facilities. Assisted living facilities will be hearing directly from pharmacies to plan their vaccination efforts in the coming days. Pharmacies that have completed vaccinations at their nursing homes can begin vaccinating at assisted living facilities immediately. “Wisconsin has a particularly high number of residents in assisted living facilities and we wanted to be sure that every resident and staff in this program has the opportunity to get vaccinated,” said

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Gov. Evers, Gov. Whitmer, and Gov. Walz: Trump administration must purchase more vaccines, allow states to purchase directly

MADISON —​ Gov. Tony Evers with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar expressing their frustrations with the Trump administration’s botched COVID-19 vaccine distribution and urged him to grant permission for states to directly purchase doses of the safe

Read More »

Rewind: Your Week in Review for Jan. 15

On this week’s episode of “Rewind,” WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters discuss the State of the State address and the GOP response, the latest on the COVID-19 vaccination rollout and the congressional impeachment vote.

Read More »

Rep. Shankland: Our constituents deserve action on unemployment reform

MADISON- Earlier this week, Governor Tony Evers signed an executive order calling on the Wisconsin Legislature to convene in a special session to discuss legislation to modernize our state’s unemployment insurance system. Republican legislative leadership responded shortly thereafter by issuing a joint statement rejecting the call to convene. Rep. Katrina

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Rep. Emerson: Statement of support for Gov. Evers’ plan to upgrade Wisconsin’s unemployment system

MADISON – In his State of the State address this week, Governor Evers called for a special session of the Legislature to vote on a $5 million plan to upgrade Wisconsin’s unemployment system. Legislative Republicans have opposed the upgrade. Representative Jodi Emerson (D-Eau Claire) issued the following statement in response: “Since the COVID-19 pandemic

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Sen. Testin urges Gov. Evers to partner with experts to distribute vaccine

Madison, WI – This week, Wisconsin fell to dead last among Midwestern states in COVID-19 vaccination administration rate. In the wake of this troubling news, Senator Patrick Testin (Stevens Point) reiterated that Governor Evers should accept Governor Tommy Thompson’s offer of assistance from the state’s university system. “The Evers administration has

Read More »

Gov. Evers: DHS assisted living facilities will begin federal pharmacy partnership program to receive COVID-19 vaccines

Gov. Tony Evers today announced the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has officially activated Part B of the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program, which provides COVID-19 vaccinations to Wisconsin assisted living facilities. Assisted living facilities will be hearing directly from pharmacies to plan their vaccination efforts in the coming

Read More »