Should also stabilize healthcare access in Western Wisconsin says Governor in Radio address.

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered the Democratic Radio Address, once again urging Republicans in the Legislature to release already-approved investments to fight PFAS statewide and stabilize healthcare access in Western Wisconsin after recently announced hospital closures. The critical resources in the Republican-controlled Joint Committee on Finance, which has declined to release the funds to date.

The $140 million investment includes a $125 million investment to address PFAS contamination across the state that was made available through the 2023-25 biennial budget passed by the Wisconsin State Legislature and enacted by Gov. Evers last July. This funding has languished unspent in Madison for months—more than 250 days—as Republican legislators have ignored repeated requests from Gov. Evers to release the critical funding.

The remainder of the $140 million sitting in the Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee are crisis response resources to help stabilize the healthcare industry and healthcare access in Western Wisconsin. Gov. Evers over two weeks ago now signed 2023 Wisconsin Act 97 to secure $15 million in crisis response resources to support healthcare access in Western Wisconsin in the wake of the recent announcement of HSHS and Prevea Health’s decision to close several locations.

More information about the governor’s request to release these funds is available here.

Audio File of Radio Address.

Hey there, Wisconsin. Governor Tony Evers here.

Folks, in July, I signed the 2023-25 biennial budget into law and in doing so, approved a $125 million investment—the first real, meaningful investment Republicans have sent to my desk to address and prevent PFAS contamination statewide.  

Now, more than 250 days later, the Republican-controlled budget committee has refused to release these funds and have ignored my repeated requests over the past eight months to do so.   

In fact, the GOP-controlled budget committee met again this week but releasing the funding—that we already agreed upon and approved more than 250 days ago—wasn’t on the agenda.  

Also not on the agenda was releasing $15 million in funding to stabilize healthcare in Western Wisconsin in the wake of the recent announcement of HSHS and Prevea Health’s decision to close several locations.

This $15 million investment would help ensure folks in Western Wisconsin could access the healthcare they need when and where they need it, including OB-GYN services, mental health and substance use treatment, urgent care, and so much more.

You heard that correctly, folks.

A total of $140 million in already-approved and agreed-upon investments meant to address pressing issues facing Wisconsin today are sitting here in Madison because Republicans refuse to release them.

To say that’s breathtaking is an understatement.

Wisconsinites should not have to wait any longer than they already have for these funds to be released, especially not when it’s putting the health of their families and communities on the line.

So, I’m once again urging Republican lawmakers to stop playing politics, do the right thing, and release these funds immediately so we can get to work addressing real and pressing challenges facing our state.

Thank you.