Gov. Tony Evers proposes $1 billion for child care, workforce despite Republican lawmakers already denying similar plans

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is calling on state lawmakers to put $1 billion toward child care services and workforce development programs — a longshot request similar to failed spending proposals introduced during the state budget-writing process that Republicans who control the state Legislature quickly promised to reject again.

Evers' $1 billion plan would allocate more than $365 million to child care programs, guarantee 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for Wisconsin workers, invest $66.4 million in UW System schools, award nearly $200 million for UW-Madison's proposed engineering building and millions more for workforce education and grant programs.

The proposed special legislative session, scheduled for Sept. 20, is also Evers' latest attempt to extend funding for Child Care Counts, a pandemic-era program that has helped keep child care centers open in an unstable economy. Evers and Democrats tried on multiple occasions to include $340 million in permanent funding for the program in the new two-year state budget but Republican lawmakers included $15 million for other child care services instead.

Child Care Counts will run out of funds by January 2024 without additional funding, something Democrats and program advocates warn could trigger large tuition hikes for parents, worsen staff shortages and shutter child care providers.

“That’s a completely catastrophic but preventable scenario for our kids. So, I’m calling on the legislature to invest more than $365 million in child care support statewide and childcare programs that we already know are successful," Evers said Tuesday at Tiny Green Trees, a nature-based child care center in Milwaukee. "It’s really not rocket science."

Both Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, dismissed Evers' announcement in statements Tuesday, with Vos calling it "nothing more than a rehash of Tony Evers’ tax and spend budget" that did nothing to address long-term child care industry challenges.

“Republicans made the decision to return the budget surplus to the taxpayers through a middle-class tax cut. Governor Evers vetoed it," Vos said, referencing Evers' partial veto of GOP tax cuts included in the state budget last month. "Now he’s rushing to spend billions of dollars again so it can’t be given back."

Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, who co-chairs the Legislature's budget-writing committee, told the Journal Sentinel on Tuesday he had "no interest" in re-opening budget deliberations, effectively paralyzing Evers' workforce development plans. Born said he would instead focus on sending $3.3 billion in tax cuts that Evers vetoed "back to the hardworking taxpayers of Wisconsin."

How many times has Gov. Tony Evers called a special session?

Evers during his first term in office called Republican lawmakers into special session 12 times, the second-most in a four-year term of any Wisconsin governor. Most tried but failed to urge legislative action from Republicans on issues they already opposed.

Examples from last year include special sessions called to overturn Wisconsin's 1849 near-total abortion ban or giving every state resident a $150 tax rebate. Republicans gaveled in and gaveled out of both sessions in seconds, as has become common practice since Evers took office in 2019.

The same is expected to happen when lawmakers are asked by Evers' executive order to gavel into the special session on Sept. 20. Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee twice rejected Democratic proposals to spend $340 million on Child Care Counts, fund paid family leave and bolster higher education funding during the budget process that ended last month.

Why Gov. Evers thinks Republicans could be open to his proposals

Evers believes this session will be different than past special sessions where Republicans gaveled in and out in seconds.

“I know Republicans do not want to be responsible for farmers, hospitals, schools and other businesses in their district not being able to find workers because parents care for their kids," Evers said. “If they don’t take this seriously, it will not be a bipartisan responsibility for the financial consequences, but their responsibility.”

Rep. Jessie Rodriguez, R-Oak Creek, said in June a separate $121 million funding increase for programs overseen by the state Department of Children and Families would help stabilize some child care centers through a $15 million fund to provide loans to child care providers.

What does the Child Care Counts program do for Wisconsin families?

Child Care Counts began in May 2020. The most recent iteration of the program began in November 2021 and gave providers monthly funding after Evers directed $351 million in federal pandemic relief dollars to keep the program running through at least the end of 2023.

Child Care Counts has distributed more than $630 million in federal pandemic relief funds directly to 4,956 Wisconsin child care providers since its inception as of mid-June, according to the state Department of Children and Families.

A Wisconsin Early Childhood Action Needed survey distributed to child care providers found that, for nearly half its respondents, Child Care Counts comprises between 20% and 30% of their revenue.

What else is Gov. Evers proposing in his $1 billion plan?

Other Evers proposals from Tuesday included:

• $22.3 million for the Partner Up! Program, which supports employers purchasing child care spots for their employees at existing regulated child care providers across the state.

• $40 million increase in general aid for the Wisconsin Technical College System.

• $17.3 million over the biennium for the Wisconsin Grants program, which provides college students with need-based financial aid.

• $100 million to continue the Workforce Innovation Grant Program, which provides grants to regional organizations to design and implement plans addressing healthcare-related workforce challenges.

• $10 million for Wisconsin's nurse educators program.

• $60 million to address healthcare workforce shortage solutions through nurse education and healthcare opportunity grants, among numerous other programs.

• $16 million to address teacher staffing shortages.

Madison Lammert of USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin contributed to this report.

Tyler Katzenberger and Yash Roy can be reached at tkatzenberger@gannett.com and yroy@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Gov. Tony Evers calls special session on child care, workforce plan