(The Center Square) – A Wisconsin lawmaker has introduced a bill to prevent state and local governments from paying for health care services for undocumented individuals in the state.
Rep. Alex Dallman, R-Markesan, pointed to Minnesota’s expansion of MinnesotaCare to include undocumented individuals earlier this year as reasoning for the law, saying it will cost the state an additional $200 million over the next four years.
“I introduced AB 308 which will prohibit state and local taxpayer dollars from subsidizing health care for illegal immigrants,” Dallman said in a statement. “This bill will ensure hard-earned taxpayer money goes to Wisconsin citizens and not used to fund people here illegally.”
Minnesota Rep. Jeff Backer, R-Browns Valley, said earlier this year that 17,396 illegal immigrants are currently enrolled in MinnesotaCare.
“Taxpayer funds should not be going to fund welfare for undocumented illegal immigrants,” Dallman said in a statement. “I look forward to moving this bill through the legislative process and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent on hardworking Wisconsinites.”
Fiscal estimates on the bill say that the Department of Revenue does not have detailed expense data and the Department of Public Instruction also does not have a count of how many individuals between students, staff or teachers would be impacted by the bill.
The Department of Corrections wrote that it was concerned about the bill conflicted with the Eighth Amendment in terms of providing health care.
“The 1976 Supreme Court case Estelle v. Gamble, established the deliberate failure to address medical needs of an inmate constitutes cruel and unusual punishment,” the Department of Corrections wrote. “In Fiscal Year 24, the Department's cost of providing healthcare was $7,700/person. This amount excludes salary and fringe benefit costs of healthcare personnel.”
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