Citizen Action Praises Advances in Health Care in Evers Budget; Calls for Use of Veto Power to Force the Issue
For Immediate Release: February 18, 2025
Contact: Robert Kraig (414) 322-5324, robert.kraig@citizenactionwi.org
Calls on Governor to Use Veto Powers to Leverage BadgerCare Expansion
Statewide: Reacting to the 2025-2026 Budget proposal presented by Governor Evers on Tuesday evening, Citizen Action of Wisconsin praised several key advances that will improve access to health care and provide relief from the skyrocketing prices of medical care, prescription drugs, and health insurance. Citizen Action also praised the Governor’s proposal in other key areas of the budget, including education, corrections, and residential renewable energy.
Citizen Action called on the Governor to leverage his potent constitutional power to veto the budget produced by the State Legislature to finally secure BadgerCare Expansion. Wisconsin is one of only 10 states which has failed to expand its state Medicaid program, denying affordable health care to roughly 90,000 Wisconsin residents and costing the state billions in revenue. Citizen Action also called on Governor Evers to veto any budget that does not include sufficient funding for K-12 public schools and bold reforms needed for Wisconsin’s troubled corrections system.
“The Governor’s principle constitutional power in the budget making process is his ability to veto the budget in whole or in part,” said Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. “When a Legislature willfully ignores public opinion and harms the interests of Wisconsinites on a life and death issue such as health care, a Governor’s only recourse is to force a showdown. When the people are behind a Governor, as they are overwhelmingly in the case of BadgerCare Expansion, he will prevail.”
Citizen Action also strongly supports the Governor’s proposals to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board, lay the groundwork for a BadgerCare Public Option, join 48 other states in expanding postpartum care, holding big insurance companies accountable for claims denials and preauthorization requirements, and removing medical debt from credit reporting records.
In addition, Citizen Action praised the Governor’s support for helping Wisconsin homeowners and renters gain access for rooftop solar, energy conservation upgrades, and other measures that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower burdensome home energy prices. Currently Wisconsin for-profit utilities deny access to on-bill financing available in neighboring states to help homeowners and renters finance energy conservation and distributed renewable energy at no upfront cost, dramatically lowering their utility bills.
Citizen Action also strongly supports the Governor’s support for K-12 public education, and his bold proposals on corrections reform, including funding for alternatives to incarceration and the closure of an antiquated state prison.
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