Wisconsin Senate OKs virus package in virtual session

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin state Senate passed a sweeping coronavirus relief package during a messy virtual session Wednesday and sent the bill on to Gov. Tony Evers to sign.

The virtual session was the first of its kind in the Senate's history. Senate President Roger Roth and Minority Leader Jen Shilling sat in a hearing room in the state Capitol with Senate Chief Clerk Jeff Renk's staff seated at desks 6 feet apart. The rest of the Senate appeared via videoconferencing from their homes or Capitol offices.

The technology was shaky, with lags between Roth initiating contact with senators and their responses. Senators voted by clicking a button on their screens at home and one of Renk's staffers had to read off their votes to Roth, who cautioned senators that if they thought they were recorded incorrectly, they should notify Renk by email.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said the set-up was necessary to adhere to social distancing guidelines form the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Democrats complained bitterly about the approach; Sen. Chris Larson said he was frustrated because the system made it difficult to have a real-time debate, and Sens. Lena Taylor and Tim Carpenter both complained that Roth never let them speak. Carpenter tried three times to raise a point of order to object to the proceeding, but Roth didn't recognize him.

Carpenter issued a statement to media outlets during the middle of the session complaining that Roth had barred him from attending the session in-person in the hearing room.

“I was elected to do a job!” he said in the statement.

An email sent to Roth's Capitol staff asking why Carpenter was barred wasn't immediately returned. Fitzgerald spokesman Alec Zimmerman also didn't reply to a message.

The bill largely ensures that Wisconsin can capture the $2.3 billion allocated to the state under the federal stimulus bill, including higher Medicaid payments and unemployment benefits. The Legislature’s budget committee would be allowed to allocate up to $75 million in funding until up to 90 days after the public health emergency ends.

The measure also would waive the state’s one-week waiting period to receive unemployment for anyone who applies between March and Feb. 7, 2021, and ban certain insurers from prohibiting coverage based on a COVID-19 diagnosis. Furthermore, it would ease the licensing and credentialing processes for health care workers, reduce nurse training hour requirements and render health providers immune from civil liability for services provided during the pandemic. Local municipalities also could choose to defer their residents’ property tax payments.

Democrats complained that the bill wouldn't do nearly enough to help people cope with the pandemic, even though Evers, a Democrat, negotiated the provisions with Republican legislators.

“Our work is not done,” Shilling said. “We need bold, decisive, forward-looking action now.”

Fitzgerald defended the measure, saying it gives Evers the tools he needs, helps the unemployed and captures hundreds of millions of additional Medicaid dollars to facilitate care for vulnerable citizens.

“It's been well-thought and I think it will help,” he said.

Fitzgerald acknowledged, though, that the bill isn't perfect and may be the first of many pieces of legislation lawmakers may have to consider as the pandemic stretches on.

In the end, the bill passed on a 32-0 vote. Taylor didn't vote; she didn't respond as Roth asked her twice for her vote, saying only that Roth wouldn't let her speak.

The Assembly overwhelmingly passed the bill in its own virtual session Tuesday. That proceeding went much smoother than the Senate session, with no complaints from members, although it took longer. Members didn't have the electronic voting feature that senators did and Chief Clerk Pat Fuller had to ask all 99 members for their vote one by one.

The bill now goes to Evers, who would have to sign it by Friday to capture the additional Medicaid payments. His spokeswoman, Melissa Baldauff, said the governor plans to sign the measure.

“The governor all along has asked the Legislature to act with urgency and he will act as soon as possible,” Baldauff said.

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Associated Press writer Scott Bauer contributed to this report.