skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, March 23, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Wildfires prompt evacuation in the Carolinas as New Jersey crews battle their own blaze; Iowa town halls find 'empty chairs'; CA groups bring generations together to work on society's biggest problems; PA works to counter Trump clean energy rollbacks.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Lawmakers from both parties face angry constituents. Some decide to skip town halls rather than address concerned voters and Kentucky considers mandatory Medicaid work requirements.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Cuts to Medicaid and frozen funding for broadband are both likely to have a negative impact on rural healthcare, which is already struggling. Plus, lawsuits over the mass firing of federal workers have huge implications for public lands.

WI group pitches in to help voters share views with reps in Congress

play audio
Play

Friday, March 7, 2025   

As new federal policies and proposed funding cuts spark confusion and chaos, Wisconsinites are looking to voice their concerns to their elected officials, and some are being met with resistance.

In Congress, $2 trillion in spending cuts for programs that serve low-income families, seniors, kids and people with disabilities are being proposed. Every Republican lawmaker from Wisconsin in the U.S. House of Representatives voted for the budget resolution. Though it is not final, more than a million Wisconsinites could be affected.

Meghan Roh, program director for the advocacy group Opportunity Wisconsin, said people are having a tough time trying to share their views when members of Congress will not schedule meetings.

"The campaign arm of the House Republicans are encouraging members to not hold these meetings, which I think tells you just how much energy there is around these issues," Roh observed.

Last week, Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., abruptly canceled a scheduled event because too many constituents were planning to join.

Roh said Opportunity Wisconsin has launched a website where people can petition their members of Congress to hold town hall meetings.

The move to shave $880 billion from health and energy programs is a part of President Donald Trump's governmentwide agenda to curb what he calls waste and abuse, and deliver on promised tax cuts.

Nearly 300,000 Wisconsinites are covered by Medicaid and CHIP, and about 71,000 receive SNAP benefits in the districts of Orden and Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis.

Roh emphasized people are anxious to have a say.

"Those are real numbers about real Wisconsin families that rely on these programs in order to make ends meet," Roh noted. "If House Republicans and those in the Senate go along with this plan, that can mean some very devastating impacts for Wisconsin workers and families."

It could be a monthslong process to implement the budget resolution. The Senate passed its own budget last week, which is much different than in the House. The two chambers will negotiate a final version, which would then go to the White House for approval.

Disclosure: Opportunity Wisconsin contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy and Priorities, Civic Engagement, and Livable Wages/Working Families. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, established by the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020, provides free, confidential support to individuals in mental health crises. (Pixabay)

Health and Wellness

play sound

As Mississippi grapples with a growing mental health crisis, state and local leaders are being urged to prioritize diversion programs and crisis care …


Social Issues

play sound

Legislation in Virginia would prohibit any systematic removals of people from voter rolls at least 90 days before an election. Last August, …

Environment

play sound

Federal rules meant to better control harmful methane emissions will not take effect since Congress and President Donald Trump have intervened but the…


The U.S. Department of Education currently manages student loans for more than 40 million borrowers. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

Student loans are among the areas overseen by the U.S. Department of Education and since President Donald Trump has followed through on his threat to …

Social Issues

play sound

Gov. Mark Gordon has just a few days left to make final decisions on bills passed during the Wyoming legislative session. Both fair election …

A new poll found large majorities of Americans, across party lines, see Medicaid as "very important" for their local community. (SEIU 775)

Health and Wellness

play sound

This week, workers who provide in-home and nursing home care rallied against cuts to Medicaid. Washington's Medicaid, known as Apple Health…

Environment

play sound

A coalition of conservationists and tribal nations is pushing for support of the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative by state officials in Olympia…

Social Issues

play sound

Absentee ballot restrictions and shortening the amount of time it takes to purge inactive voters from the voting rolls are priorities for West Virgini…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021