Republican Rejects Her Own Bill to Fund Wisconsin Homeless Centers

MADISON – On the last Senate session day of the 2019 fall floor period, Senate Republicans blocked action to fund homeless shelters across Wisconsin. Assembly Bill 119 (AB 119) is a bipartisan bill that passed unanimously out of both Assembly and Senate committees and passed before the full Assembly. Despite being a co-author of AB 119, Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) voted against the bill jeopardizing funding for Wisconsin’s most vulnerable residents.

“How can voters trust Senator Darling to do the right thing when she is willing to vote against her own bill,” said SSDC Executive Director Katie Iliff. “It is unconscionable that she is willing to leave children and families out in the cold while prioritizing tax breaks for her wealthy donors. To make matters worse, Senator Darling and the rest of the Senate Republicans called it quits until next year, further delaying action on AB 119.”

AB 119 would have provided $500,000 for homeless shelters across Wisconsin and was voted down on a party-line vote. The Senate isn’t expected to reconvene until January 2020.