What to know about new Democratic legislation to push back on Trump cuts in Wisconsin

Yahoo

2 days ago

MADISON – A set of proposals backed by Democratic lawmakers would push back against the Trump administration if it unlawfully withholds federal funds designated for Wisconsin.
Here's what to know about the bills:
Since Republican President Donald Trump began his second term in January, thousands of federal employees have been fired, and states and organizations have seen disruption in millions of dollars in grant funding. On June 3, Trump submitted an official request to Congress to claw back $9.4 billion in federal funds to codify cuts made by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. The proposal "contains BILLIONS in wasteful foreign aid and federal funding for NPR and PBS," the White House Office of Management and Budget wrote on X.
"These bills … are proactive measures to protect Wisconsinites," Rep. Renuka Mayadev, D-Madison, said during a June 4 news conference. "We, all of us, believe in the rule of law, and since Trump and his billionaire buddies don't, we need to speak the only language they understand — and that's money. For every dollar the Trump administration holds back from Wisconsin illegally, Wisconsin will hold back a dollar until they correct their actions."
The proposals are "about protecting our neighbors from extreme overreach and broken promises from the federal government," said Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee.
The package includes four bills:
The first proposal would allow the state to hold back payments to the federal government if the administration fails to provide funds that have been approved by Congress. As federal dollars are given to the state, the state funds would be released to the federal government.
A second bill would allow the state to place a temporary lien on federal properties within Wisconsin if the administration blocks congressionally approved funds from going to the state. The lien would be lifted when those federal funds are given to Wisconsin.
Another proposal would expand Wisconsin residents' ability to sue for "violations of rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution or law or those under the state constitution and laws."
The final bill would bar the state government from sharing personally identifiable information with the federal government, unless necessary to comply with the law or to carry out the administration of a government program.
Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, has joined other states' attorneys general in several lawsuits against the Trump administration.
Those lawsuits are challenging Trump actions, including massive staffing cuts at the U.S. Department of Education, cuts to funding streams for public libraries and museums, withholding transportation and emergency preparedness funding, cutting funding for scientific research, and freezing federal grants and loans.
Mayadev told reporters she ran the legislation past Kaul's office. Spokespeople for the state Department of Justice declined to comment on the bills.
The state's 2023-25 budget, which ends June 30, includes $28 billion in federal dollars. Nearly two-thirds of that money goes to the state Department of Health Services, primarily for Medicaid programs.
Asked what the proposals' fiscal effect would be on the federal government, Mayadev said the secretary of the Department of Administration would be in charge of keeping a ledger tracking money flowing in and out of the state.
The state sends $69 billion a year to the federal goverment, said Rep. Andrew Hysell, D-Sun Prairie.
Republicans hold a majority in the state Legislature, making it unlikely these bills will progress beyond their introduction.
Similar legislation has been introduced in at least one other state; a bill that would allow the state of New York to withhold federal payments was introduced in March.
Jessie Opoien can be reached at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Democrats offer bills to push back on possible Trump cuts