Evers special session - a reminder of what he (and us) want and still need

When the state budget got signed last month, there was plenty of unfinished business for the rest of the 2023-25 session. And our Governor is asking that some of this business be taken care of next month.

Our state is in a strong fiscal position. But, despite having the largest surplus in state history, Republicans failed to meet the moment. Instead, they rejected my efforts to bolster our workforce without any real justification, debate, or plan of their own.

— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) August 8, 2023

The Special Session wouldn't start until September 20 (because God Forbid we do work at the Capitol in August), but let's break down the Governor's press release that goes over what he is asking for in the special session. The first item that Evers mentions deals with maintaining and improving access to child care.

· More than $340 million, including $38.9 million in Temporary Assistance for Need Families (TANF) funds, for the Child Care Counts Program that to date has helped more than 4,300 child care providers keep their doors open, ensuring the employment of 22,000 child care professionals and allowing providers to continue to provide high-quality care to more than 113,000 kids; and
· $22.3 million for the Partner Up! Program, which has helped support employers in purchasing child care spots for their employees at existing regulated child care providers across the state. A portion of this investment redirects the $15 million that the 2023-25 budget placed in the Joint Finance Committee supplemental appropriation for the purposes of grants to child care providers. As of March 2023, 220 businesses have enrolled in Partner Up!, securing slots for over 1,200 kids across Wisconsin.

Child Care Counts was part of Evers' 2023-25 budget plans, and would have continued a COVID-era program to help child care providers make ends meet. But it was removed by GOP legislators during budget deliberations, and while the GOPs on Joint Finance did allow the Evers Administration to use up $11 million in COVID-era funding to bolster Child Care Counts in the coming months, Child Care Counts is on track to run out of money next January.

Another Evers budget request would have set up a statewide paid family leave program in Wisconsin, similar to what was signed into law in Minnesota in May. But that was also taken out of Wisconsin's budget by Republicans, and Evers wants to bring FMLA back with this special session.

Under the paid FMLA Program, workers will be eligible for 12 weeks of leave beginning Jan. 1, 2025. This program will be self-sustaining by 2026, and benefits will be funded through payroll contributions shared equally by an employer and an employee, much like the current Unemployment Insurance system. In order to launch the program expeditiously, the governor’s plan infuses the new benefit and administration trust fund with a transfer of $243.4 million. Employers with fewer than 50 employees would be able to opt-in to the program.

It's the same proposal from Evers' budget as well, with the state paying $243.4 million in startup costs, and payroll taxes paying for the rest. Don't bet on this getting passed with the ALEC crew in charge, but Evers wants to keep the issue in public consciousness, which tells you that he thinks it's a winner.

Another central part of Evers' special session package involves adding funding to higher education, which seems especially relevant in light of this headline from last week.

UW-Oshkosh said it will begin intermittent furloughs and layoffs in order to reduce a projected 2023 structural deficit of up to $18 million. https://t.co/RjnbAt0bOf

— TMJ4 News (@tmj4) August 3, 2023

As always, GOP cuts to the UW System hurt the other 4-year campuses in the rest of the state, not "those liberals in Madison."

With that in mind, Evers is asking the Legislature to give the System additional state funding of $66.4 million, which matches what he wanted to do in his budget. Evers also wants to increase aid to the Technical College System by $40 million, and Evers also wants to increase financial aid for low-income students by expanding Wisconsin Grants by more than $17 million. None of these initiative got assistance from the GOP Legislature in the current budget.

Another item Evers is asking the GOP Legislature to reconsider is having more than $197 million go to replace and update the outdated UW-Madison Engineering Building. That move was met with immediate approval from Bucky's Chancellor.

A new UW engineering building would propel innovation, enhance the state’s workforce and boost the entire Wisconsin economy.

Our thanks to Governor Evers and members of the Legislature for continuing the conversation around this vital project.https://t.co/1UAaX6vLNy

— Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin (@uwchancellor) August 8, 2023

Lastly, Evers wants to invest in some intiaitves to increase the workforce and services in some high-need sectors.

✅ Targets high-need sectors and industries like our healthcare and education workforces, including $160 million for solutions to our healthcare workforce shortages and more than $16 million to address the teacher shortage and bolster educator pipelines.

— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) August 8, 2023

We certainly have the money available to do all of these things over the next 2 years. After the GOP removed a number of Evers' spending requests, and Evers vetoed GOP tax cuts for the rich, the state is projected to have around $4 billion available throughout this 2-year budget.

You'd think that businesses would welcome state efforts to help remove barriers to joinging the work force and the funding of higher education in the state, as it'll improve the pool of workers available. But I bet the "business leaders" at WMC will tell Robbin' Vos and company to double down on regressive tax cuts instead.

And the thing is - I undertand that most of what Evers is doing is entirely pose, with little chance of succeeding. Along with some of these spending proposals, he could have also revived the lower-income tax cut package that he had in his original budget, and possibly expand the cut in tax rates to around $150,000 or $200,000 in income. That would remove the GOP argument of "this is just politics", and would have forced them to be seen as "gaveling out" for petty, personal reasons instead of having a serious counter-proposal.

Not that I count on WisGOPs to be serious with this spending-only package, but I do appreciate Evers being willing to keep pushing the issue, because he and the Dems have the advantage on the real issues. And with new maps looming, WisGOPs continuing to do nothing while billions sit in the bank should be something pounded on for the next 15 months.