On October 15, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra signed an order to renew the federal public health emergency due to COVID-19. The extension will last for 90 days, into mid-January 2022. This is the seventh time that the COVID-19 health emergency has been extended since it began January 31, 2020 […]
Wisconsin COVID-19 Update: State Employees Must Vaccinate or Test Weekly; State, Milwaukee Fund Vaccine Incentives
September 28, 2021
As of September 27, Wisconsin had administered about 6.34 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with 3.1 million Wisconsin residents or 53.5 percent of the state’s population fully vaccinated. The state’s seven-day average of new confirmed cases was 2,603 cases per day. That number peaked in November 2020 at around 6,500 cases per day. About 7,930 […]
Senator Asks Legislative Leaders to Sue UW System, Seeking Legislative Oversight of COVID Rules
September 10, 2021
The Legislature’s Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR) held an executive session on August 3 to vote on the University of Wisconsin System’s COVID-19 policies. On a 6-4, party-line vote, the committee ordered the UW System to submit its COVID-19 protocols as an emergency rule within 30 days, arguing that measures such as regular testing […]
DHS Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk Has Retired
September 9, 2021
Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk has retired as of September 10. Governor Tony Evers (D) announced one week earlier that Willems Van Dijk would retire and that Deb Standridge would take her place starting September 13. Previously, Standridge directed Wisconsin’s temporary care site for COVID-19 patients at State […]
Wisconsin COVID-19 Update: Three Million Fully Vaccinated; Case Rates Have Risen Since June Lows
September 9, 2021
As of September 7, Wisconsin had administered about 6.17 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with just over 3 million Wisconsin residents or 51.9 percent of the state’s population fully vaccinated. About 84.9 percent of Wisconsinites aged 65 and older have received at least one dose. All U.S. adults are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine […]
Governor, Legislators Introduce Prescription Drug Package
September 9, 2021
On August 4, Governor Tony Evers (D), Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison), and Sen.Jon Erpenbach (D-West Point) announced a package of bills that they argue will reduce the cost of prescription drugs in Wisconsin. Called the “Less for Rx” prescription drug plan, the package includes a variety of proposals recommended by the Governor’s Task Force on Reducing […]
Two Key 2022 Congressional Races Shaping Up in Wisconsin
August 13, 2021
In 2022, Wisconsin will host at least two key congressional races affecting the political balance of power in Washington, D.C. First, one of the state’s two seats in the U.S. Senate will be on the ballot statewide. The seat is currently held by Republican Senator Ron Johnson, who has yet to announce whether he will […]
Governor Signs State Budget With 50 Partial Vetoes
July 22, 2021
On Thursday, July 8, Governor Tony Evers (D) signed 2021 Act 58, the state budget for the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium, which began July 1. The Wisconsin Assembly approved the budget bill (Assembly Bill 68) on June 29, with the Senate concurring in the bill the following day. The two-year budget, assembled by the Republican-led Joint Finance Committee […]
Legislature Passes State Budget
July 1, 2021
This week, the Wisconsin Legislature passed a state budget for the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium, which began on July 1. The Assembly approved the budget bill (Assembly Bill 68) on June 29, with the Senate concurring in the bill the following day. The two-year budget proposal, assembled by the Republican-led Joint Finance Committee (JFC), would spend […]
State Budget Recap: Health Services, Insurance, Children and Families (June 15)
June 22, 2021
On Tuesday, June 15, the Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC) held an executive session to consider various motions related to the 2021-23 state budget. Below is a list of motions that JFC considered on June 15, including whether each motion was adopted and how the committee voted. The committee includes 12 Republican members and […]