Progressive Group Tells Lawmakers To Accept Medicaid Funds To Avoid Budget Cuts

A progressive advocacy group told state lawmakers on Thursday that they could avoid deep budget cuts to the University of Wisconsin and public schools if they accept federal money to expand Medicaid.

During a public hearing at Reedsburg High School, Citizen Action’s Ann Dvorak told the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee that referendum after referendum showed the public supported the move.

“When you go back to Madison, I imagine that you have many difficult choices to make. Taking the money is not one of them,” said Dvorak.

The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau has said Wisconsin could save as much as $345 million in state tax dollars by expanding Medicaid. While Republicans in other states have warmed to the idea, it’s been a political non-starter in Wisconsin, where GOP leaders say there’s no guarantee the money will be there in future budgets.