MIDDLETON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers has called a special session for the Legislature on to expand Medicaid in Wisconsin, a move Republicans have rejected for years.
Evers on Wednesday called for the special session to begin on Tuesday. He says the bill lawmakers take up would use $750 million in federal stimulus money tied to expanding Medicaid on more than 50 projects across the state.
“We’re not only going to expand access to healthcare for tens of thousands of people across our state, we’re going to use that $1 billion we’d save and put it toward making sure our economy can bounce back and recover from this pandemic,” Gov. Evers said in a statement announcing the special session. “It’s time for Republicans to put politics aside, and let’s work together to invest in economic development and recovery efforts across our state.”
Republican legislative leaders, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, did not immediately return messages from the Associated Press seeking comment. The Legislature is not required to vote on the bill in the special session and Republicans have repeatedly ignored Evers’ calls on past special sessions to take up a variety of hot-button issues, including gun control.
“Here’s the bottom line: we can’t let politics get in the way of doing the right thing,” Evers said in his statement. “It’s time to put people first and focus on making fiscally and morally responsible decisions that will improve not only the health of our people but help our state’s bottom line—we can do both.”
Republicans have long resisted Medicaid expansion even as 38 other states, including ones led by Republicans, have done it.
Republicans earlier this month voted to remove Medicaid expansion from Evers’ two-year budget proposal.
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