THU AM News: Coalition urges lawmakers to establish $20 per hour minimum wage; Wisconsin Medical Society urging opposition to bill allowing PAs to practice independently

September 4, 2025

— A coalition of progressive political groups and workers is calling on state lawmakers to establish a $20 per hour minimum wage, along with other proposed policy changes around wages in Wisconsin.

The Living Wage Coalition was officially launched Tuesday, the day after Labor Day, according to a release. It sent a letter to state lawmakers arguing families in the state are struggling more than ever, as housing, child care and health care have become “unaffordable” while food and energy prices continue to rise as well.

“For decades, real wages stagnated, and even declined for the growing low end of the labor market, eroding living standards and economic security while income inequality exploded,” authors wrote.

The letter says policymakers in the state have “allowed the bottom to fall out of the labor market” for working Wisconsin.

“At no point in our lifetimes has the minimum wage guaranteed Wisconsin workers enough to pay the bills,” authors wrote. “It’s the time for policymakers to act.”

Along with setting the state’s minimum wage to at least $20 per hour “phased in as quickly as possible on a reasonable timeline,” the coalition is seeking to have the minimum wage indexed to inflation and to “restore local control” over minimum wage to municipal governments in order to address local labor market conditions. The current minimum wage is $7.25 at the state and federal level.

The letter notes more than 800,000 workers in the state make less than $20 per hour, which is nearly a third of the state’s workforce, based on figures from the Economic Policy Institute.

Peter Rickman, president and business manager for coalition member the Milwaukee Area Service & Hospitality Workers Union, says real wages, household income and living standards have been “stagnant” for two generations and declining for low-wage workers.

“Despite massive productivity gains, we’re getting left behind while the share of economic output returning to capital versus labor has not been this high since the Gilded Age that brought on the Great Depression,” he said in a statement on the coalition forming, arguing $20 per hour is “the bare minimum as a floor for our labor market.”

The coalition was formed by Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Fighting Oligarchy, Milwaukee Area Service & Hospitality Workers Union, Our Wisconsin Revolution and Wisconsin Working Families Power/Party.

See the release.

— The Wisconsin Medical Society is urging state lawmakers to oppose a bill that would open the door to physician assistants practicing independently.

Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara, R-Appleton, and Rep. Nancy VanderMeer, R-Tomah, this week began circulating a cosponsorship memo for LRB-0509/1.

It would establish various criteria for physician assistants to qualify to practice independently, including having completed 7,680 hours of clinical practice under the supervision of a doctor, among other requirements. The bill would also change their title to “physician associate,” make allowances for PAs to provide certain pain management care, and add PAs that qualify for independent practice to the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund.

The bill authors say the legislation aims to “modernize the PA practice” in the state by allowing for independent practice outside of the formal collaborative agreement required by current law.

“Importantly, PAs will continue to be restricted to practicing within the bounds of their experience, education, and training to ensure patient safety and would continue to be legally required to consult with or refer to another healthcare provider when a patient’s care needs exceed the physician assistant’s experience, education, or training,” authors wrote.

The lawmakers say their bill is “largely mirroring” recent changes to state law around advanced practice registered nurses, which Gov. Tony Evers signed last month.

But the Wisconsin Medical Society, which represents more than 10,000 doctors in the state, says the proposed change for PAs is “not in the best interest” of patients. The group argues the legislation would “further fragment” physician-led health care teams, which include PAs and other health professionals.

The group’s message to lawmakers notes doctors undergo longer and more rigorous training than PAs, with more years of education and thousands more hours of clinical experience.

“These differences are appropriate because PAs are valued members of physician-led teams – not independent practitioners,” they wrote, noting 45 states currently require doctor supervision or collaboration for PAs.

The Wisconsin Medical Society also questions the name change, arguing it risks confusing patients.

The cosponsorship deadline for the bill is Wednesday at 3 p.m.

See the bill text.

— Republican lawmakers and the head of the Wisconsin Nurses Association spoke in support of legislation to change the membership of the state’s Board of Nursing.

Speaking during yesterday’s Senate Health Committee public hearing, Cabral-Guevara said SB 282 would ensure the board takes a well-rounded approach to nursing regulation, calling the change a “simple ask.” The current board is made up of five registered nurses, one licensed practical nurse, one other RN or LPN and two public members.

Under the bill, a nurse educator and an advanced practice nurse prescriber would also serve on the board, and the number of required registered nurses would be reduced to three, according to the Legislative Reference Bureau.

“Nurse educators provide specialty care within curriculum development, teaching, student assessment,” Cabral-Guevara said. “They bring a different level of insight that maybe someone that doesn’t teach, doesn’t have, right? It’s a whole different area within the world of nursing.”

Gina Dennik-Champion, a lobbyist and executive director of the Wisconsin Nurses Association, yesterday said the group supports making the change to the board’s makeup.

“We would like to see the newly licensed nurse, APRN, also have a designated seat on the board,” she said. “We have seen the value of having APRNs on the Board of Nursing, but it’s not always a guarantee, which is why we would like to assure there is a seat for the APRN.”

She also noted the board’s role in approving and monitoring education programs for nurses, emphasizing the benefit of having a nurse educator on the board as well.

“They understand curricula, they understand the accrediting bodies that establish the criteria for accreditation of these schools of nursing,” she said, adding they also have a good grasp on “the new competencies needed of our nursing workforce.”

Watch the video.

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— Nineteen Wisconsin school districts have gotten nearly $1 million to upgrade technical education facilities through the latest round of Wisconsin Fast Forward grants.

The state Department of Workforce Development yesterday announced the funding will benefit 4,223 students, funding efforts to build and modernize welding labs, launch robotics programs, acquire 3D printers and more. Individual grants range from about $5,000 to $100,000 per recipient.

See details in the release.

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