WI Assembly Passes Deals on PFAS, SNAP Funding
The bills must pass the WI Senate before they could head to Gov. Evers' desk.
Wisconsin State Capitol at night in 2023. Joe Tarr/ WPR
Capping off a contentious week of floor sessions that saw tempers flare as lawmakers raced to adjourn for the year, the state Assembly passed bills Friday night tied to hard-fought deals about food assistance and cleaning up forever chemicals, known as PFAS.
Both proposals passed with bipartisan votes and would still need to be approved by the state Senate, which is expected to return to Madison for at least one session day in March.
Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act tightened restrictions on access to food assistance and increased penalties on states that make errors in administrating the benefits. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ administration has requested money and staff to facilitate those changes, with Evers arguing in his State of the State address Tuesday that a small investment now would save the state a larger amount in penalties.
Dozens of staff positions were added Friday night in an amendment to a bill barring SNAP recipients from buying candy, soda or energy drinks with their assistance dollars. That amendment included several exclusions that would still allow for the purchase of dairy products, like milkshakes.
Some Democrats took issue with those restrictions, saying families should be able to make their own decisions when it comes to food.
“This has nothing to do with health,” said Rep. Ryan Clancy, D-Milwaukee. “This is about punishing people for poverty.”
Rep. Clint Moses, R-Menomonie, the bill’s lead author, disputed that, saying reducing sugary drinks and junk food that lead to obesity could help people live healthier lives.
“The original intent that I had was to go down a path or at least start looking at what we’re feeding our children, what we’re feeding our families,” he said.
Moses also highlighted the bill’s new staff positions to oversee FoodShare.“If this bill does not pass, the amount of money that we could lose from the federal government is astronomical,” Moses said.
That plan passed on a bipartisan 72-22 vote.
Republicans also approved another bill on a 54-39 vote requiring the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to share data about FoodShare recipients with the federal government.
A unanimous vote on PFAS legislation
The Assembly voted 93-0 for two bills aimed at addressing PFAS contamination.
One bill would exempt certain people and businesses from having to clean up the forever chemicals. That would include municipal services that use things with PFAS for emergencies, like firefighting foam. It would also include solid waste facilities and people or businesses that had licenses to spread materials containing PFAS.
The bill would also exempt people who bought contaminated property but weren’t responsible for the spills. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources would be responsible for cleaning up the PFAS on behalf of exempted people or businesses.
Madison, Wis., resident Brad Horn collects a water sample to test for PFAS on Aug. 8, 2022. Coburn Dukehart/Wisconsin Watch
The other PFAS bill would create a series of grants for testing and remediating the chemicals, including one for so-called “innocent landowners,” or people who bought property that was contaminated but didn’t cause the contamination themselves. It would also create other legal protections for them.
The legislation would unlock $125 million that was set aside in 2023 for PFAS remediation, and which has been subject to a long fight between Evers and legislative Republicans.
The Assembly is done for 2026 — unless a big deal gets cut
Both packages were among the final pieces of business conducted late Friday evening, and came after a long recess during which lawmakers said they were hammering out the final details.
“Privacy and protecting our residents is not a partisan issue. It’s about assuring that all Wisconsinites are safe, free and secure in their communities across the state,” said Rep. Andrew Hysell, D-Sun Prairie.
Representatives from both parties praised the PFAS bills. But at the end of the night, the bill’s lead author, Rep. Jeffrey Mursau, R-Crivitz, apologized they took so long to arrive.
“The six hours or whatever it was here that we’re here longer than we should — it’s my fault,” he said.
The Wisconsin Assembly Chambers has an abundance of artistic detail maintained by decorative painters and conservation technicians Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Those bills and many others are now in the Senate’s hands. Lawmakers there could hold a final day of session in mid-March, and would need to approve identical versions of the bills if they’re to make it to Evers’ desk.
Another big negotiation between Evers and legislative Republicans never materialized in the closing days of session. The past couple weeks, they’d been discussing passing a bill that would lower property taxes, in combination with tax cuts and school funding.
Wisconsin Assembly passes deals on PFAS, SNAP funding was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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