MADISON – Today, the Assembly voted on a variety of unemployment related pieces of legislation. All seven bills passed along party lines. Representative Alex Joers (D-Middleton) voted against these pieces of legislation, with particular opposition to Assembly Bill 149, relating to various changes to the unemployment insurance law. He released the following statement:
“The bills passed today will do nothing to build our workforce, and instead will add more barriers that prevent people from entering the workforce. Assembly Bill 149 in particular seeks to punish people or investigate them if they miss or don’t respond to an interview. Think of the impact that would have on parents or caregivers that are just trying to get back on their feet.
“Today, over half of Wisconsinites live in a child care desert. And even if they live near a child care center it may not be affordable for a working family. If a parent’s child care center closes, or maybe their child gets sick, or they don’t have child care to begin with, they’re not going to be able to go to an interview. So let’s stop with the fast-tracked, half-baked legislation and get to the real issues of the day. Providing reliable, affordable childcare and helping our caregivers get the resources they need to care for their families.”
