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State of the State/Budget Address
Governor Evers gave his State of the State speech to a joint session of the Legislature Wednesday night (January 22). His speech was mainly a preview of the budget address he plans on giving in February. In his speech he discussed:
- Child Care
- 4-year-old Kindergarten
- Prescription Drugs and Medications
- School Meals for Kids
- Reducing Crime and Gun Violence
- Kids Mental Health
- Lead Contamination and Clean Drinking Water
According to the documents provided, “Gov. Evers announced he is approving a Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) emergency rule to lower the lead poisoning threshold to 3.5 μg/dL…In order to support this expanded eligibility and address this serious concern for the health and well-being of Wisconsin kids, Gov. Evers also announced his 2025-27 Executive Budget will provide over $6.2 million to increase grants to local health departments which support lead poisoning intervention and response. DHS currently grants $769,700 to health departments to support lead poisoning intervention and response, including education programming, screening, care coordination or follow up services for kids not covered by a third-party payer, and other activities related to poisoning or exposure. Each health department would receive at least a $40,000 increase, with an average award increase being $50,700 and jurisdictions with more cases of lead poisoning would receive more funding. The governor’s budget will also modify statutes to allow utilities to provide financial assistance in the form of 100 percent grant funding for the replacement of lead service lines (LSL) for property owners. Current law requires all property owners, regardless of income, to replace their own water service lines if they contain lead. The cost of replacing a customer-side LSL varies by location but generally ranges from $2,000 to $6,000 per line.”
Additionally, Evers announced “he has invested an additional $5 million in federal funds” to the Well Compensation grant program. Additional “ongoing funding for this program will be announced as part of the governor’s 2025-27 Executive Budget next month.”
The Governor will give his budget address to the Legislature on Tuesday, February 18 at 7 pm.
Petition Filed with Supreme Court
A petition was filed with the Supreme Court “for prompt review of the case” challenging the constitutionality of the state’s collective bargaining provisions. The case currently sits in the Court of Appeals, but plaintiffs in the case (Abbotsford Education Association (WEAC/NEA), AFSCME Local 47, AFSCME Local 1215, Beaver Dam Education Association (WEAC/NEA), SEIU Wisconsin, Teaching Assistants Association (TAA/AFT) Local 3220 and Teamsters Local 695) are asking the Supreme Court to bypass the Appeals Court and take the case. The petition argues that Act 10’s collective bargaining provisions are of “immense statewide significance” and needs to be resolved promptly.
Democrats Propose "Lowering Costs, Improving Lives" Package
Legislative Democrats introduced their first package of bills aimed at “lowering costs and improving lives” for Wisconsinites. The package includes three bills:
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LRB-1296 Memo Homestead Tax Credit - Rep. Mike Bare (D-Verona) Expanding the homestead income tax credit.
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LRB-1302 Memo Health Care Costs - Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) Health care costs omnibus, granting rule-making authority, making an appropriation, and providing a penalty.
- Elimination of cost sharing for prescription drugs under the Medical Assistance program
- Cost-sharing cap on insulin
- Fiduciary and disclosure requirements for pharmacy benefit managers
- Reimbursements for certain 340B program entities
- Drug repository program
- Value-based diabetes medication pilot project
- Pharmacist continuing education credits for volunteering at free and charitable clinics
- Prescription drug importation program
- Pharmacy benefits tool grants
- Prescription drug purchasing entity study
- Licensure of pharmacy services administrative organizations
- Licensure of pharmaceutical representatives
- Insulin safety net programs
- Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board
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LRB-1300 Memo School Meals - Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison) Providing state aid to reimburse public and private schools that provide free meals to all pupils for the costs of those meals and making an appropriation.
Protective Status
Rep. Paul Melotik (R-Grafton) and Sen. André Jacque (R-De Pere) are circulating a bill to provide protective status for dispatchers. Wisconsin protective occupations are listed in § 40.02 (48)(am), Wis. Stats.”
According to a report by the National Conference of State Legislators titled “States Focus on Bolstering the 911 Workforce”, states are recognizing the critical role of public safety telecommunicators and are enacting legislation to support the profession and address challenges. The NCSL report states, “Some states, along with the federal government, classify public safety telecommunicators as clerical workers, unlike police, firefighters and other key public safety officials who fall under a more accurate classification such as emergency first responder. Reclassifying public safety telecommunicators as first responders or a related title is viewed as a method to better reflect the central role they play in public safety…According to NHTSA, 25 states have enacted legislation or adopted resolutions to classify public safety telecommunicators, or their state’s respective titles, as first responders or other public safety occupations. Colorado, Delaware and Missouri are some of the most recent states to reclassify.” The report goes on to state that reclassification would better support the mental health needs of 911 professionals. Nevada, Idaho and Oregon expanded mental health benefits for dispatchers in 2019. Arizona added 911 dispatchers to the list of professionals who may qualify to participate in the Traumatic Event Counseling Program. Colorado closed the loophole which excluded telecommunicators from receiving workers’ compensation for PTSD, and Illinois requires counties and municipalities that self-insure to include mental health counseling in their employee health coverage for first responders, including dispatchers. Congress considered reclassifying 911 workers as part of the “Protective Service Occupation” category in 2018, 2021, and 2023.
The co-sponsorship memo states:
Public safety telecommunicators are often the unseen heroes of emergency response teams. They are the first point of contact for individuals in distress, tasked with quickly assessing situations, dispatching emergency responders, and providing life-saving instructions, all under immense pressure. Public safety telecommunicators regularly witness traumatic events such as violent crimes, fatal accidents, medical emergencies, and natural disasters, absorbing the emotional weight of each call. The psychological burden they carry can be just as intense as the physical demands placed on first responders on the scene and often lead to career burnout. Despite the significant emotional toll, public safety telecommunicators often lack the necessary support systems to address the mental health challenges that arise from the nature of their work. Studies show that public safety telecommunicators are at a heightened risk for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and burnout. Unfortunately, unlike other public safety professionals, they do not have access to the same mental health resources, leaving many to suffer in silence.
In an interview with The Wheeler Report, Rep. Melotik said he first became aware of this bill through an aide in his office as well as through his years of service with the Ozaukee County Board and on the Town of Grafton Board prior to coming to the Legislature. Melotik offered that these provisions will “encourage hiring of mores dispatchers.” He said the County Administrator in Ozaukee County, the Chairman, and the Sheriff are all very supportive of the proposal. He concluded the interview by saying he values the work that 911 dispatchers do and understands the stress level that comes with such an important job.
LRB-0611 Memo Protective Occupation Participants - Rep. Paul Melotik (R-Grafton) Classifying public safety telecommunicators as protective occupation participants under the Wisconsin Retirement System and the treatment of public safety telecommunicators under the Municipal Employment Relations Act. (Dispatchers)
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