MADISON WI – Today, during the first hearing of the Assembly Committee on Public Benefit Reform, Representative Christian Phelps (D-Eau Claire) stood firmly against a slate of Republican-authored bills that would raise barriers to accessing essential programs like unemployment insurance, Medicaid, and other forms of public assistance.
“These bills don’t solve a problem—they create new ones,” said Rep. Phelps following the committee meeting. “They are designed to make it harder for Wisconsinites to access support and would cost Wisconsin more in resources and costly human errors.”
In Assembly District 93 alone, 5,901 residents rely on Medicaid for their healthcare, including 2,447 children and 338 seniors. An estimated 17.8% of all children in the district are on Medicaid. “We are talking about thousands of families across the state who are just trying to stay healthy and stable,” said Phelps. “These bills threaten to make that impossible.”
The committee heard powerful testimony from residents across Wisconsin describing the overwhelming red tape they face just to prove they still qualify for benefits: long waits, confusing paperwork, and constant recertification demands. “People with disabilities are spending hours navigating systems that are already too inaccessible. The only thing these bills do is add to that burden. It would force more folks to lose benefits even after all of that onerous work,” Phelps added.
“As someone who worked for years as a public school paraprofessional and in community nonprofits before coming to the Legislature, I’ve seen up close how overly complicated systems can fail the very people they’re supposed to serve,” said Phelps. “Our constituents deserve systems that work with them, not against them. I’ll continue fighting for a Wisconsin that treats healthcare – and dignity – as human rights, and leads with compassion, not cruelty.”
