Madison – Today the Wisconsin State Assembly held a floor session and passed eight workforce bills, one authored by State Representative William Penterman (R – Columbus).
“At a time when there are tens of thousands of good-paying jobs available in every sector across Wisconsin, Legislative Republicans are working to reform government welfare programs and encourage individuals to re-join the workforce,” said Rep. Penterman. “No one has achieved the American Dream by sitting back and collecting government welfare.”
According to the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services, improper payments under the Medicaid Assistance program (MA) are estimated to be $85 billion annually. Assembly Bill 148, authored by Representative Penterman, prohibits the automatic renewal of benefits for BadgerCare Plus recipients. It would require eligibility to be re-determined every six months, and would require information to be cross referenced between state agencies that collect financial data related to public assistance programs.
“Nothing in this bill is ground breaking or new. In fact several states have similar laws. For example, Connecticut prohibits guarantees of eligibility for assistance for 6 consecutive months without regard to changes in circumstances. Both North Carolina and Ohio review changes in circumstances at least quarterly. This bill goes a long way to help combat fraud and ensure those that deserve their Medicaid assistance get the benefits they need.”
Representative Penterman also voted in favor a workforce package that prohibits guaranteed income programs, modernizes Wisconsin’s Unemployment Insurance program, and ties unemployment benefits to the state’s unemployment rate.
If you would like more information you can contact Representative Penterman’s office toll-free at 1-888-534-0037 or via e-mail at Rep.Penterman@legis.state.wi.us. The 37th Assembly District includes portions of Columbia, Dane, Dodge and Jefferson counties.
