And the legislature rightfully balks.
The Democratic governor announced the effort to upgrade the system during his State of the State speech on Tuesday. He introduced a bill Wednesday that calls for the state Department of Workforce Development to conduct all transactions electronically and hands the agency $5.3 million to renovate and modernize the claims system. He also issued an executive order calling for lawmakers to take up the bill in a special session beginning at noon on Tuesday.
But Republican leaders of the Senate and Assembly accused Evers of trying to shift blame. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Evers’ plan, which appears dead on arrival, is about politics, not policy.
“Governor Evers already has the funding and tools he needs to fix the problems,” said Republican Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu. “Now, instead of effectively using his resources, he’s scrambling to shift blame while people are still left waiting.”
The Republicans are right. Do you know what the tell is? How do you know that Evers is politicizing this instead of acting in good faith?
He called a special session. That’s the tell. The legislature is actually in session and could take up his proposals as part of their regular business. There isn’t any need for a special session. Yet Evers calls a special session because it gives him the cover to claim that he is “doing something” while the Republicans are “failing to act.” It is an attempt to shift blame.
It is also worth noting that we are TEN months removed from when this became an issue and Evers is just now getting around to thinking that he needs the legislature to do something? Is that the speed of government? (yes, it is)
If this is a matter of ‘system upgrades,’ DOA usually has budget for that.
LIkely that Evers doesn’t have a clue as to what the problem–if any–actually is, aside from Union Rules and a fat, happy, lazy workforce at DWD.