MADISON – On Thursday, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) voted unanimously to allow utilities to move forward with disconnection of service for nonpayment at the end of the annual winter moratorium after April 15, 2021. The action comes following a moratorium preventing utilities from disconnecting service for nonpayment during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Since the end of October, the weekly average of COVID-19 cases have decreased by more than 90% and Wisconsin has become a national leader in vaccine implementation. Customers who are behind on paying their utility bills are encouraged to arrange a payment plan with their utility

(MADISON) — Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler issued the following statement in response to the tragic shootings in Atlanta and acts of hate against the AAPI community: “Three weeks ago, Wisconsin Democrats spoke out against the rise of anti-Asian violence across our country. We are heartbroken that this violence has only intensified, culminating with this week’s heinous murder of 8 people in Atlanta, including 6 Asian women. We mourn their loss, and our hearts break for their families. “Closer to home, we were saddened to hear that a van belonging to the Hmong American Center in Wausau was vandalized this week. A

Madison –Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services (DHS) undercounted 1,000 COVID-19 deaths in long-term care facilities. Senator Darling is calling for an investigation into the Department’s reporting. “I am asking the chairs of the Legislative Audit Committee to investigate DHS and their handling of COVID-19 data,” Darling said, “Their severe underreporting and lack of transparency put more lives at risk and diverted attention from the crisis in our long-term care facilities.” While previously, the administration’s data attributed 26-30% of COVID-19 deaths to long-term care facilities, accurate reporting now shows that 45% of all COVID-19 deaths in Wisconsin were linked to long-term care

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Jared Golden (D-ME), Peter Meijer (R-MI), and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) today introduced bipartisan legislation that would help Congress reclaim its constitutional war powers by repealing outdated Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs). The bill would end the 1957, 1991, and 2002 AUMFs, formally ending the Congressional authorization for the Gulf and Iraq wars, as well as an open-ended Cold War-era authorization of force in the Middle East. Click HERE for bill text. “Congress has abdicated its Article 1 authority for too long. By taking these outdated authorizations off the books, we can start to reclaim

Contact: GovPress@wisconsin.gov     Mass vaccination clinic to serve thousands in the Chippewa Valley area MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers announced today that a federally supported mass vaccination clinic will open on April 8 at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Zorn Arena for COVID-19 vaccinations. In coordination with state and local partners, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 5 will coordinate staff and support services to run the center. Wisconsin has committed to providing at least 3,500 weekly vaccine doses from the state’s allocation for the site, and up to 7,000 first doses weekly based on supply. This

CONTACT: Patty Mayers, Communications Director (608) 266-2300 or DORCommunications@wisconsin.gov The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued news release yesterday indicating that the federal income tax filing and payment due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year will be automatically extended from April 15, 2021 to May 17, 2021. The IRS will provide formal guidance in the coming days. As a result, the Wisconsin individual income tax return filing and payment due dates are extended to May 17, 2021. Wisconsin law provides for an extension of time and waiver of interest and penalties when the IRS extends filing deadlines during a

La CROSSE, WI — President Biden’s historic nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, was confirmed by the Senate today. Senator Ron Johnson voted against his confirmation. Dr. Bob Freedland, an ophthalmologist in La Crosse and Wisconsin State Lead for the Committee to Protect Medicare, released the following statement in support of Becerra and criticizing Senator Johnson’s vote: “As a doctor, I am disappointed that Senator Ron Johnson voted against confirming Secretary Becerra to the Department of Health and Human Services. During his tenures as Attorney General for California and as a member of Congress, Becerra demonstrated

[Madison, WI] – The Evers administration severely undercounted COVID-19 deaths in long-term care facilities, making their response to COVID-19 appear much better than it was, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel revealed on Thursday. The unreported deaths drove up the percentage of COVID-19 deaths that occurred in long-term care facilities from between 26 and 30 percent to nearly 50 percent. The earlier reported percentages were significantly lower than the percentage of COVID-19 deaths that occurred in long-term care facilities in other states, making the Evers administration’s response look much better than it was. The Evers administration is now refusing to answer questions relating to how they

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will host a virtual public meeting on April 1 to seek input on the Southwest Savanna Draft Regional Master Plan and Environmental Analysis, which outlines proposed future public use and management of DNR-managed properties within the Southwest Savanna Ecological Landscape. The public meeting take place at 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 1, 2021 via Zoom video conferencing. Pre-register for the meeting here. For those unable to attend, the meeting will be recorded and posted to the Southwest Savanna Draft Regional Master Plan webpage for viewing after the event. The meeting will include a

Washington, DC –  Today, Rep. Ron Kind is highlighting a new “Get My Payment” tool from IRS.gov where Wisconsinites can check the status of their Economic Impact Payment. With the passage of the American Rescue Plan, 89 percent of Wisconsin adults are set to receive a relief check of up to $1,400 per person and money is already beginning to be directly deposited into bank accounts this week. “Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, relief checks are on their way to Wisconsin families to help pay bills, put food on the table, and provide some certainty during these uncertain times. In fact, some people may have