GOP lawmakers skip vote on clean water funding to head to D.C. fundraiser
GOP lawmakers skip vote on clean water funding to head to D.C. fundraiser Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Republican Lawmakers Absent from Special Meeting on Sustainable Development Goals
When Gov. Tony Evers called a special meeting of the Legislature’s budget committee Tuesday to release $140 million for combating forever chemical contamination and preventing rural hospital closures, Republican lawmakers were nowhere to be found.
Some of the absentee GOP lawmakers are instead in Washington, D.C., this week for a “Wisconsin Night” fundraiser hosted by the Republican Party of Wisconsin.
Planting a Sugar Maple Tree on U.S. Capitol Grounds
A photograph posted on X by the Committee on House Administration, which is chaired by Rep. Bryan Steil, showed a group of Republican Wisconsin state lawmakers joining members of the state’s congressional delegation Wednesday to plant a sugar maple tree on the U.S. Capitol grounds.
Finance committee members at the tree planting included Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, a Joint Finance Committee co-chair, and finance committee members Sen. Joan Ballweg, R-Markesen, Rep. Tony Kurtz, R-Wonewoc and Rep. Alex Dallman, R-Green Lake.
Others in attendance included Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Speaker Pro Tem Kevin Petersen, R-Waupaca. One photo said the sugar maple, the official Wisconsin state tree, was dedicated Wednesday “to honor the people of Wisconsin.”
Republican Fundraiser in Washington, D.C.
An invitation to the Wednesday night fundraiser obtained by the Journal Sentinel lists prices ranging from $1,000 per person to attend, $2,500 to sponsor, and $5,000 to host. It’s being held about 850 miles away from the state Capitol at the offices of the BGR Group, a prominent D.C. lobbying firm.
“Gov. Evers called a meeting to release $140 million in already-approved investments to address urgent challenges facing our state, but not one Republican showed up. That’s bad enough as it is,” his spokeswoman Britt Cudaback said in an email. “But if Republican lawmakers didn’t show up for work because they’re too busy fundraising in Washington D.C. for their re-election campaigns while Wisconsinites need access to critical healthcare services and are waiting to get pollutants out of their water, then that’s even worse.”
Cudaback said Wednesday that “we didn’t find out about the fundraiser until yesterday.”
None of the Republican members of the Joint Finance Committee responded to requests for interviews about their whereabouts Tuesday.
Storm Linjer, a spokeswoman for Born, sent a statement from last week accusing Evers of “playing politics” and arguing that the governor has no authority to call the committee into a special meeting. Republicans have criticized Evers’ veto of a GOP-passed bill that would have spelled out uses for the PFAS funds. Evers cited the bill’s enforcement restrictions in his veto.
Linjer did not respond to follow-up questions about whether Born was in D.C. on Tuesday, and whether he was planning to attend the Wisconsin Night fundraiser or other fundraising events.
Democratic Governor’s Response
Since there were no Republican members of Joint Finance at the Tuesday morning meeting, there were too few in attendance to convene.
Evers appeared alongside Democratic members of the committee after the Republican majority failed to show up.
The Democratic governor accused the GOP-controlled committee of acting as a fourth branch of power within the state and not as just a part of the Legislature, noting that the funding had already been approved.
“You have an obligation to release (the funding),” Evers said. “And it seems we are wasting time and energy of the people of Wisconsin.”
Evers had called for the meeting of the budget committee last week to release funding to address both forever chemicals (PFAS) and the lack of medical resources in the northeastern portion of the state.
Lawrence Andrea, Molly Beck and Laura Schulte of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.
Contact Mary Spicuzza at (414) 224-2324 or mary.spicuzza@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MSpicuzzaMJS.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
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SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.
- Indicator 3.8.1: Coverage of essential health services.
-
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
- Target 6.3: Improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping, and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally.
- Indicator 6.3.2: Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality.
The article discusses two main issues: forever chemical contamination (PFAS) and the lack of medical resources in the northeastern portion of the state. Based on this information, the following SDGs, targets, and indicators can be identified:
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
The article highlights the need for addressing forever chemical contamination and the lack of medical resources, which are directly related to the goals of ensuring good health and well-being (SDG 3) and clean water and sanitation (SDG 6).
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.
- Target 6.3: Improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping, and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally.
The article emphasizes the need to address the lack of medical resources and forever chemical contamination. These issues align with the targets of achieving universal health coverage (Target 3.8) and improving water quality by reducing pollution and hazardous chemicals (Target 6.3).
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Indicator 3.8.1: Coverage of essential health services.
- Indicator 6.3.2: Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality.
The article does not explicitly mention any indicators related to the identified targets. However, to measure progress towards achieving universal health coverage (Target 3.8), the indicator “Coverage of essential health services” (Indicator 3.8.1) can be used. Additionally, to measure progress towards improving water quality (Target 6.3), the indicator “Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality” (Indicator 6.3.2) can be utilized.
4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all. | Indicator 3.8.1: Coverage of essential health services. |
| SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation | Target 6.3: Improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping, and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally. | Indicator 6.3.2: Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality. |
Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.
Source: jsonline.com
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