VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>> IN THE VOTING MINORITY ON THE
COMMITTEE, WE ARE JOINED BY
MILWAUKEE SENATOR LATONYA
JOHNSON.
AND, SENATOR, THANKS VERY MUCH
FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING
ME.
>> SO HOW DO YOU REGARD THE
ACTIONS OF THE FINANCE
COMMITTEE, WHICH IS CONTROLLED
12-4 BY MAJORITY REPUBLICANS?
>> IT WAS REALLY SO JUST
FRUSTRATING TO SEE SO MANY OF
THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET ITEMS
BEING PULLED OUT, ESPECIALLY
THOSE ITEMS THAT WERE EXTREMELY
POPULAR AMONG THE PUBLIC.
WE HEARD ABOUT THOSE ITEMS FROM
OUR LISTENING SESSIONS.
SO THAT WAS JUST REALLY
DISHEARTENING.
>> WELL, YOU TOLD A PERSONAL
STORY BEFORE THE PANEL OF WHY
EXPANSION OF BADGERCARE WOULD
HELP PEOPLE, DESCRIBING HOW YOU
WERE UNINSURED BEFORE YOU WERE
ELECTED TO THE LEGISLATURE AND
ONLY THEN DISCOVERED A LARGE
TUMOR FOR WHICH YOU UNDERWENT
SURGERY.
WHY IS YOUR STORY A CAUTIONARY
TALE ON THE EXPANSION OF
MEDICAID?
>> BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T
AFFORD INSURANCE, THEY'RE JUST
GOING TO GO WITHOUT.
AND WHEN YOU GO OUT HEALTH
INSURANCE, YOU'RE GOING TO END
UP WITH COMPLICATIONS THAT'S
GOING TO BE MUCH MORE COSTLY TO
THE STATE.
IN MY CASE, I HAD TO HAVE MAJOR
SURGERY, AND IT DOESN'T JUST END
THERE.
I STILL HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE
TO HAVE LIFE-LONG COMPLICATIONS
FROM THAT.
AND SO MANY OF OUR WISCONSINITES
SUFFER THOSE SAME FATES EVERY
DAY.
AND IT'S JUST SO MUCH EASIER AND
CHEAPER TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE
HEALTH CARE LIKE SOMETHING AS
SIMPLE AS A CHECKUP ON AN
ONGOING BASIS THAN TO DEAL WITH
THOSE PROBLEMS THAT ARE
EXTREMELY COSTLY TO TAXPAYERS IN
THE END.
>> NOW, REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE
MEMBERS ASKED WHY PEOPLE WHO ARE
OF LOW INCOME CAN'T SIMPLY NOW
SIGN UP FOR OBAMACARE OR PLANS
ON THE MARKETPLACE.
WHY CAN'T THEY?
>> THEY CAN SIGN UP, BUT FOR
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE STRUGGLING
TO MAKE ENDS MEET, THE MONEY'S
JUST NOT GOING TO BE THERE.
AND WHAT WE SAW WHEN THE
REPUBLICANS CHOSE TO KICK 90,000
PEOPLE OFF OF MEDICAID, A LOT OF
THOSE INDIVIDUALS WERE PARENTS.
AND SO DOCTORS AND, YOU KNOW,
THIRD-PARTY BILLING TALKED ABOUT
HOW CHILDREN WHO WERE RECEIVING
REGULAR CHECKUPS BECAUSE THEIR
PARENTS AND THEMSELVES WERE
COVERED WERE NOW MISSING THOSE
CHECKUPS BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS
WERE NO LONGER COVERED.
SO IT WASN'T AS CONVENIENT TO
TAKE A DAY OFF WORK AND TAKE
EVERYBODY TO THE DOCTOR VERSUS
JUST HAVING THE KID SEEN.
AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
WISCONSINITES ARE AS HEALTHY AS
POSSIBLE.
AND WE'RE LEAVING $1.6 BILLION
ON THE TABLE TO COVER LESS
PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S THE CONCERNING PART.
>> AS TO THAT KIND OF LOSS OF
$1.6 BILLION OF FEDERAL MONEY BY
NOT EXPANDING MEDICAID, WHAT
ABOUT THE ARGUMENT THAT
EXPANDING IT JUST FOSTERS THE
GROWTH OF WELFARE PROGRAMS?
>> THAT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO
SENSE BECAUSE THESE ARE HUMAN
BEINGS.
THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO JUST
CAN'T AFFORD HEALTH CARE.
AND WE'RE LEAVING $1.6 BILLION
ON THE TABLE WHEN THIS STATE HAS
SO MANY NEEDS, SUCH AS COMMUNITY
INVESTMENT PROGRAMS, HEALTH
EQUITY GRANTS.
THAT COULD HELP BOTH THE INNER
CITY AND AS WELL AS THE RURAL
AREAS TO STAFF THEMSELVES WITH
DOCTORS.
THE EXPANSION OF A WELFARE
PROGRAM HOLDS NO WATER BECAUSE
THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT NEED
COVERAGE.
AND I THINK THAT COMES FROM A
PLACE OF PRIVILEGE.
FOR SO MANY OF THOSE ELECTED
OFFICIALS, THEY SEE THINGS THAT
WAY BECAUSE WE OURSELVES ARE
BEING COVERED MEDICALLY BY THE
STATE SO WHY SHOULDN'T WE EXPECT
OUR CONSTITUENTS TO BE ABLE TO
DO THE SAME.
>> ONE OF THE OTHER 390 ITEMS
REMOVED FROM THE BUDGET BY
REPUBLICAN VOTE THIS WEEK, 190
OF THEM WERE DEEMED POLICY ITEMS
BY THE FISCAL BUREAU AND THOSE
ARE REGULARLY STRIPPED OUT.
BUT OF THEM, WERE THERE PRIORITY
ITEMS IN THERE FOR YOU AND YOUR
CONSTITUENTS?
>> THERE WERE.
ONE OF THOSE PRIORITY ITEMS FOR
ME WAS BEING ABLE TO ALLOW
STUDENTS TO GO TO ANY OF THE UW
SYSTEM SCHOOLS FOR FREE IF THEIR
PARENTS EARNED UNDER $60,000 A
YEAR.
WE HAVE A SHORTAGE CRISIS IN
THIS STATE OF TEACHERS, NURSES,
SOCIAL WORKERS, PSYCHIATRISTS
AND PSYCHOLOGISTS.
AND GIVING THOSE STUDENTS THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO PURSUE
A COLLEGE EDUCATION IS PIVOTAL
TO BEING ABLE TO CHANGE THINGS
IN THIS STATE.
AND FOR SO MANY OF THOSE
STUDENTS, THE PARENT PORTION IS
THE MOST DIFFICULT PIECE TO COME
UP WITH.
AND TO JUST BE DENIED THAT TYPE
OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
BECAUSE YOUR PARENTS CAN'T
AFFORD IT, I DON'T UNDERSTAND
WHEN THE STATE HAS SUCH A GREAT
NEED.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE LEAVE IT THERE.
SENATOR LATONYA JOHNSON, THANKS
VERY M