From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— A Senate hearing on barring the use of public money to provide health care for those in the U.S. illegally turned testy as Sen. Tim Carpenter tried to snatch away the gavel of Chair Chris Kapenga, who kept ruling his colleague’s comments were inappropriate.
Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, told the bill’s GOP co-sponsors during yesterday’s public hearing that the bill would deny medical care for those who were being detained, saying it is “wrong. It’s un-Christian. It’s immoral.”
Carpenter stopped to chide GOP Rep. Alex Dallman, one of the co-sponsors, for interrupting him. Kapenga, R-Delafield, intervened, saying the Milwaukee Dem can’t negatively talk about somebody’s personality like that.
The two bickered briefly before Carpenter continued to speak about U.S. policy to deport Latinos in the 1950s, including U.S. citizens, when Kapenga used his gavel again. Carpenter stood up from his chair and then reached across the table for the gavel before Kapenga pulled it back sharply.
“This bill is about illegals,” Kapenga said.
“I’m getting tired of you,” Carpenter fired back. “That’s what I’m talking about. If you’re too cowardly to let me speak the truth about his situation, then don’t have a public hearing.”
Kapenga told Carpenter he wasn’t going to allow the Milwaukee Dem to discuss things outside the scope of the bill. After Carpenter turned his attention back to the co-sponsors, he and Sen. Van Waggaard, R-Racine, started talking over each other. That prompted Kapenga to use his gavel again.
“You guys are cowards that you can’t even defend your bill,” Carpenter said.
Kapenga told Carpenter he was “acting out of line” and the back and forth continued even after the chair ended testimony on the bill, which cleared the Assembly last week.
The Assembly already passed the bill 51-44.
Watch the exchange on WisconsinEye. It begins around the 49-minute mark.
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