Critical Needs of Many Older Wisconsinites Addressed in Governor's Budget

No ever gets exactly what they ask for in a state budget, but the biennial spending plan outlined by the governor in his state budget address on Feb. 18 comes pretty close. Now comes the hard part - fighting to keep these priority issues top of mind among all state lawmakers as the arduous budget-creation process moves forward.

Plans to lower health care and Rx costs, expand Medicaid, boost high-speed internet infrastructure, and provide funding to help make Wisconsin’s communities more livable for residents of all ages are some of the provisions in Gov. Evers' proposed 2025-27 state budget that we believe are critically important to our state’s future.

The governor clearly understands that we need to make investments in the future of all our communities and provide financial relief for thousands of hard-working Wisconsinites as they age. Families are making hard choices all over the state, which is why we are thrilled to see the governor tackle issues such as food security, prescription drug prices, and paid family leave for workers.

Gov. Evers highlighted his goal of lowering the costs of prescription drugs and medication while cracking down on price gouging. His budget proposal calls for capping the cost of insulin copays at $35 and creating a Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board. He also plans to set price ceilings for medications and eliminate the sales tax on over-the-counter medications.

This is a step in the right direction. We whole-heartedly agree with the governor that accessible health care and being able to pay for basic prescriptions or insulin should not break the bank. Affordable health care and Rx costs are a priority for tens of thousands of Wisconsinites. We will work with the governor and legislature to make sure this issue remains top of mind.

We're also also thrilled to see provisions in the budget to expand Medicaid, strengthen high-speed internet service and infrastructure, and provide property tax relief. We support investments that will improve high-speed internet statewide by addressing key barriers such as affordability, accessibility, quality of service, and digital skills development.

But we didn't get everything we wanted. We were hoping the governor would go even further to address the needs of the state’s aging population by including an annual $500 income tax credit to help Wisconsin’s nearly 600,000 unpaid family caregivers. We remain committed to working with the legislature to make a caregiver tax credit a reality this year.

This much we know for sure and can promise all of our members. We plan to fight throughout this long budget process for these and other issues of critical importance to all Wisconsinites as they age. We need to make sure the critical needs of Wisconsin’s 50-plus population don’t fall through the cracks as this budget moves through the legislative process and is signed into law.