Republicans Unveil Budget Plans, Including Minor Changes To Long-Term Care Proposal

Republicans on the Legislature’s budget committee unveiled plans for a number of changes to Gov. Scott Walker’s budget Wednesday, including to provisions on long-term care — although the Republican lawmakers still plan on ending the program known as IRIS.

The plans would also require the state to look for agency office space outside Madison and Milwaukee, impose stiffer civil penalties for unemployment fraud, and reject Walker’s proposal to create a new office ensuring the government continues following a disaster.

Walker’s budget proposed ending IRIS, a program in which elderly and disabled people get a budget to hire their own caregivers. The move shocked disability rights groups, who pleaded with lawmakers to remove it.

The motion Republicans introduced Wednesday would still end IRIS, although Rep. Dean Knudson, R-Hudson, noted that it would also require that whatever replaces it would have to give participants choices.

“What IRIS has today has to be there,” said Knudson.

The GOP plan would also expand Family Care statewide and allow for-profit HMOs to help run the the system. Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, said that would affect the quality of peoples’ care.

“We’re introducing an element that has to make profit. We know what happens when they take over a system and they don’t make profit. They drop it,” said Hintz.

The Wisconsin Long-Term Care Coalition issued a statement blasting the GOP motion, calling it, “the Governor’s proposal in sheep’s clothing” and saying it “violates the trust between the Legislature and the public.”

Republicans also plan to tuck provisions in Gov. Scott Walker’s state budget that would require the Department of Administration to look for lease options in counties other than Dane or Milwaukee. DOA would have to provide an analysis for each lease or renewal examining the savings that would come with moving the agency, department, division or bureau to an office outside the two counties.

While Republicans also plan to create more severe civil penalties for unemployment fraud, their proposal would also scrap plans to create harsher criminal penalties. Right now under Wisconsin law, penalties can include losing eligibility, a surcharge equal to 15 percent of the benefits erroneously paid, criminal fines ranging from $100 to $500 and up to 90 days in jail.

Gov. Scott Walker’s budget calls for upping the surcharge to 40 percent and creating a scale of criminal penalties ranging from a $10,000 fine and up to nine months in jail to $25,000 in fines and up to five years in prison.

Committee Republicans want to call for adopting the surcharge increase but rejecting the harsher criminal charges.

Walker’s budget also calls for creating the Office of Government Continuity within the Department of Administration. That office would develop a continuity plan for each state agency. The two-year budget would set aside $676,500 to pay for five employees and supplies. Three positions — one within the Department of Health Services, one within the Department of Safety and Professional Standards and one within the state historical society — would be eliminated to create three spots within the new office.

Republicans plan to delete those provisions.

Lawmakers are expected to vote on the above motions in a Joint Finance Committee meeting currently underway at the state Capitol.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally an Associated Press story. It has since been updated with original reporting.