From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— An attorney representing UW Hospitals said during state Supreme Court oral arguments the SEIU could not prove Act 10 has been unreasonably interpreted in order to gain union recognition.
“A ruling for SEIU would throw this Court’s very recent precedent… into disarray, with the absurd result that the Legislature somehow failed to do what it told everyone, quite oddly, it was doing in Act 10,” James Goldschmidt said yesterday.
SEIU had appealed the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission ruling that the state’s Employment Peace Act, which grants employees the right to unionize. That was the question at the heart of the case before the state Supreme Court.
The attorney representing SEIU, Tamara Packard, said the court should focus on the plain language within the act to determine if UW Hospitals must recognize SEIU for its employees. Packard argued the court does not always need to consider statutory history if the text of the law itself, in this case the Peace Act, was clear enough.
Conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn immediately challenged Packard, pointing out that the court has looked at statutory history for years.
Conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley also pushed back against the union’s case.
“I think what your argument is asking this court to do is backtrack off of at least two decades of cases that recognized the distinction between statutory history and legislative history,” Bradley said.
See more at WisPolitics.
— Co-authors of a bipartisan bill to extend Medical Assistance coverage for postpartum women from 60 days to 12 months urged support for the measure to help new moms.
The bill, now SB 23, passed 32-1 in the Senate last session. But Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has criticized the measure as expanding welfare, and it saw no traction in the chamber despite broad bipartisan support.
Co-author Sen. Jesse James, R-Thorp, yesterday told the Senate Health Committee the bill wouldn’t make any changes to eligibility requirements for Medical Assistance or change the income threshold, which is currently at 306% of the federal poverty level.
“We as a state are unfortunately behind on this issue, and we’re one of two states that do not cover mothers up to 12 months postpartum,” he said. “We have a chance to do better for our moms, our kiddos and our families as a whole.”
Co-author Rep. Patrick Snyder, R-Weston, added the expansion isn’t a partisan issue.
“I’m in to help people, my constituents, and if we can’t get something like this done, then I don’t know what I’m doing in the Legislature,” Snyder said.
Officials from Dem Gov. Tony Evers’ Department of Health Services spoke in support of the legislation.
“Medicaid is integral to the health and safety of mothers and babies statewide in both urban and rural communities,” Legislative Director Arielle Exner said.
She noted there were 63 pregnancy-related deaths in Wisconsin from 2020 to 2022. She said one-third of them occurred after 60 days, and 76% of those who died had Medicaid at the time of delivery.
“Wisconsin moms are losing health care coverage when they need it the most,” Exner said.
— The latest episode of “WisBusiness: the Show” features Abigail Crocker of Tailored Remedy.
This company uses AI and related software to service long-term care facilities and assisted living centers, as well as in home health care applications. Tailored Remedy took part in this year’s Early Stage Symposium, put on by the Wisconsin Technology Council, which produces the show.
Crocker, who previously worked as a certified nursing assistant, discusses her journey from health care to entrepreneurship.
“Tailored Remedy democratizes medical information, so through the AI platform, complicated medical information is presented in a clear and accessible manner,” she said.
Crocker is targeting up to five facilities in southeastern Wisconsin for a beta launch of the platform, “just to have that relationship, to understand what features are working, what features might not be as necessary.”
The show also previews upcoming Tech Council events.
Watch the show here and find more episodes. See more in the release below.
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