OP-ED: MAGA Republicans Blocked Action on Wisconsinites’ Priorities in State Legislature

The 2023-2024 legislative session in Wisconsin has come to a close with Assembly Republicans calling it quits for the year in February, over a month early, followed by Senate Republicans deciding their early March floor session would be their last.

While both GOP-controlled legislative bodies found plenty of time this session to take up their misplaced priorities, like advancing tax breaks for wealthy donors, and attacking LGBTQ+ youth, teachers, schools, reproductive freedom, voting rights, equity, and BIPOC communities – they deliberately did not address a long list of real and critical issues facing Wisconsin families.

Among the legislation ignored or blocked by Republicans before ending their work was:

• A comprehensive paid family leave bill introduced by state Democrats to ensure that all Wisconsin workers have the time to care for themselves or for their loved ones when needed – without worrying about losing their job or making ends meet;
• Child Care Counts funding that would ensure child care is more affordable and accessible to Wisconsin families;
• The Reproductive Freedom Act and Right to Contraception Act, introduced by Democratic legislators to protect and expand reproductive rights and access to birth control in Wisconsin;
• Health care expansion proposed in Gov. Evers’ budget to ensure every Wisconsinite can see a doctor when they’re sick;
• Clean drinking water, PFAS clean-up, and long overdue accountability for corporate polluters;
• Legalizing marijuana;
• Expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage for new mothers;
• Several of Gov. Evers’ appointees to boards and committees that do critical work for Wisconsinites.

Wisconsinites deserve better than Republican lawmakers’ lack of action on the issues that matter most to us.

Call your legislator today at 1-800-362-9472 and let them know there’s still plenty of work to be done to give Wisconsin families and communities tools they can use to succeed.