KEY POINTS:
- Wisconsinites eligible for unemployment benefits may begin receiving fewer benefits and must also meet a stricter set of qualification requirements.
- More than 78% of Wisconsin voters have already expressed their approval for ensuring anyone receiving taxpayer-funded benefits should actively seek work if they physically and mentally can.
- Since employers could report individuals who don’t show up or decline interviews under the new plan, those who are reported multiple times and do not have legitimate reasons for missing interviews or declining could have their benefits revoked.
- Tony Evers and Melissa Agard criticized the plan, calling it a pointless ploy to increase conservative turnout for the WI Supreme Court election.
- AB 150 would require the Dept. of Workforce Development to enforce federal drug testing requirements for individuals claiming unemployment benefits in specific fields.
- AB 153 would link the number of weeks someone can receive unemployment benefits to the statewide unemployment rate.
- AB 148 would require the Dept. of Health Services to review the status of individuals utilizing BadgerCare Plus programs every six months instead of automatic re-enrollment.
- Other proposals include stricter identification verification checks for unemployment benefits and prohibiting local governments from using taxpayer money to support guaranteed income programs.
“Shall able-bodied, childless adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits?” More than 78% of Wisconsin voters think so.
Wisconsinites eligible for unemployment benefits may begin receiving fewer benefits. They will also need to meet a stricter set of qualification requirements under a package of bills slated for votes in the state Assembly.
Wisconsin’s ongoing labor shortage has pushed the Republican-led assembly to try to rework unemployment benefits once again and tighten up the eligibility and qualification processes.
More than 78% of Wisconsin voters already expressed their approval for making sure anyone receiving taxpayer-funded benefits should be actively seeking work if they are physically able to do so.
This is what the reintroduced legislation would do:
- Require individuals to participate in services to help complete their employment plan
- Those programs would include resume writing workshops, soft-skills training, and other employment workshops
- Individuals seeking unemployment benefits must also post their resumes online within seven days of starting their claim.
The eight measures, all of which are backed by the GOP, follow the statewide April election where over three-quarters of voters supported a nonbinding ballot question saying they think able-bodied adults should have to seek work if they want to receive government assistance in the form of unemployment benefits.
Why Is It On The Ballot?
On April 4, 2023, an advisory referendum to impose a work requirement for welfare recipients was approved by Wisconsinites, with close to 80% voting yes. The referendum asked voters, “Shall able-bodied, childless adults be required to look for work to receive taxpayer-funded benefits?”
The non-binding question would not change state law, regardless of the outcome. However, assembly Speaker Vos said in January, “I think we have an awful lot of opportunity for people of Wisconsin to speak out on a topic we know is relevant.
Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu introduced the proposal and wanted the public’s feedback to craft future legislation. They have also said they want to expand requirements to include BadgerCare, Wisconsin’s Medicaid program.
Governor Evers and Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard criticized the plan, calling it a pointless ploy to increase conservative turnout for the WI Supreme Court election.
In a January news conference, Agard stated, “(Republicans’) resolution, simply put, attacks low-oncome people in the state of Wisconsin, and it’s borne out of a consideration to their base for the spring election. They’re trying to gin up their voters.”
Registered voters overwhelmingly supported the referendum, indicating that Wisconsinites want taxpayer-funded benefits for those who genuinely need them.
The Main Pros & Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| Supports the state’s push to encourage more Wisconsinites to find work amid the existing labor shortage. It would ideally increase the number of people who are actively and genuinely seeking employment opportunities. | The stricter qualification process will inevitably make it harder for individuals to qualify, and this will likely reduce the overall amount of Wisconsinites qualifying for the benefits. This plan will exclude some who were accepted before. |
| This plan will likely reduce the number of individuals who may be taking advantage of taxpayer-funded benefits when they are indeed able to work. | More rules may discourage some people from applying at all when they do actually need assistance. |
The Details
The ability to report recipients would bridge the gap between those who genuinely need help getting on their feet after losing their job and those who would instead take the assistance and not actively search for employment opportunities.
Since employers could report individuals who don’t show up or decline interviews under the new plan, those who are reported multiple times and do not have legitimate reasons for missing interviews or declining risk revoking their benefits.
AB 150 would require the Dept. of Workforce Development to enforce federal drug testing requirements for individuals claiming unemployment benefits in specific fields.
An individual who fails a federal drug test would be deemed ineligible for benefits until “certain requalification criteria are satisfied or unless he or she enrolls in substance abuse treatment program and undergoes a job skills assessment, and a claimant who declines to submit to a test is simply ineligible for benefits until he/she requalifies.”
The bill would also change some of the terminology found in state statutes from “unemployment insurance” to “reemployment assistance.”
Another of the eight measures, AB 153, would link the number of weeks someone can receive unemployment benefits to the statewide unemployment rate.
The current rates sit under 3%, translating to recipients being limited to 14 weeks of benefits. The standard of 26 weeks of benefits would only apply to recipients if rates exceeded 9%.
Other proposals include stricter identification verification checks for unemployment benefits, prohibiting local governments from using taxpayer money to support guaranteed income programs, and AB 148 would require the Dept. of Health Services to review the status of individuals who are utilizing BadgerCare Plus programs every six months instead of automatic re-enrollment.
The goal of the consistent reviewal process is to ensure the programs would best serve those who need them the most, i.e., low-income individuals, family caretakers, and pregnant women.
BadgerCare recipients who fail to report any changes to DHS promptly should also know that it could affect their eligibility for six months, so being punctual and reporting any changes to DHS swiftly would be essential under these new measures.
