LARSON Weekly Report - January 5, 2012

Dear Friend,

It is a new year and with every new year comes hope that change can happen. It is my hope that during this year, the Legislature can renew its commitment to open and transparent government and leave the past year of secrecy behind.

As usual, please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns or opinions you may have about our community or our state.

Sincerely,
Chris Larson, WI State Senator, 7th District
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Lifting the Veil of Secrecy
Under Governor Walker we have seen an ever-growing culture of secrecy and misdirection. Fortunately, as we enter the new year these efforts to keep the people of Wisconsin in the dark are starting to come to light. Just this week we saw indictments handed out to top Walker aides, verified that Governor Walker unjustly created a cap on FamilyCare and tried to take credit for its repeal, and saw Republican leaders harshly criticized for the backroom tactics used to draw the new legislative district maps. We will look at these events in more detail, in addition to others that occurred over the past year that steered Wisconsin off the path of transparency.

Removing the Unjust Cap on FamilyCare
During debate on Governor Walker's budget, my Democratic colleagues and I expressed our concerns about how people across Wisconsin would suffer because of the proposed cap on Medicaid programs, including FamilyCare. Since then, I have been contacted by hundreds of neighbors voicing their opposition to the cap and sharing how this change affected them personally or a family member.

It was hard for many of us to accept that cutting our safety net by imposing this devastating cap was even a possibility that could be considered by the Walker administration. As it turns out, it was not. Late last week we were made aware that caps placed on Wisconsin's Medicaid programs was not legal and as a result, the federal government ordered Governor Walker to lift the cap he placed on FamilyCare. Once session resumes, the Legislature will need to pass a bill to officially remove the current cap on Wisconsin's health safety net programs.