The people of Wisconsin are facing a public health crisis of immense magnitude. Our state needs an ambitious bipartisan response to protect the health of all Wisconsinites.

Now is the time for action, not partisan bickering. People have been waiting for weeks for our state legislature to act, and the Republican leadership has waited until the 11th hour to release a one-sided plan that doesn’t go nearly far enough. While the proposal by the Republican majority includes crucial flexibilities for Medicaid and should allow us to leverage much-needed federal dollars, the GOP proposal fails to provide adequate funding and support for: food banks, local public health departments, child care providers and those on the front lines of the pandemic.

Our state legislature needs to pass a clean COVID-19 response bill that is limited in scope and responsive to the duration of the current crisis ASAP.