Evers action to pay for long-term care shows yet another reason to VOTE NO tomorrow.

Just in time for tomorrow's election, WPR reminds us of how Governor Evers recently gave a boost to Wisconsin caregivers and long-term care providers of $258 million, and it shows yet another reason to vote NO tomorrow.

The increase would come from a pool of pandemic relief aid that the federal government sent to the state health department specifically for assisted living and home-based care industries.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services earlier this year sought to increase Medicaid payments to providers. But doing so first required review from the Republican-controlled Joint Committee on Finance.

That additional legislative oversight resulted from an effort by former Republican Gov. Scott Walker and allies to erode gubernatorial power during a lame-duck session in late 2018 before Evers succeeded him.

Walker signed a series of laws that increased the oversight authority of several legislative committees. That included giving the finance committee veto power over administration proposals to significantly increase Medicaid reimbursements.

The finance committee refused to schedule a hearing on the latest proposal after a member anonymously objected in April, blocking it from implementation. Committee leaders say they worry about the annual $103 million general revenue cost of maintaining higher Medicaid reimbursement rates once pandemic relief runs out.

In a time period when long-term care needs in Wisconsin continue to grow, and there is already a lack of caregivers in the state, there needs to have drastic action taken to improve quality of life for the most vulnerable. And yes, that requires real money to be invested to bridge the gaps in coverage and workforce.

And we can't allow GOPs to prevent these needs from being met, especially in such a scuzzy, anonymous manner where only 1 member of the gerrymandered JFC can say no, and none of the GOPs in the Legislature ever have to vote YES OR NO on the subject.

If we're able to vote down these pathetic amendments tomorrow, we then get a chance to take another step toward affording and meeting our health needs in this state, by getting a legitimate Legislature in place that will finally expand Medicaid, and have the Feds make available and pay for more of the services that older and disabled Wisconsinites are in need of.

It also should remind you that while the damage from the Walker era has been contained with some progress made in the last 5 1/2 years, there is still a lot of work left to be done to get us back to where we can and should be. And we can prevent having another barrier to progress happen if enough of us VOTE NO tomorrow.