Council set to act on Health Department crisis
Joint statement from the Milwaukee Common Council
Today members of the Common Council learned that officers of the Milwaukee Health Department failed to ensure adequate notification of thousands of families whose children tested positive for elevated lead levels in their blood. This is an egregious public health failure that was in direct noncompliance with procedures put forth by Common Council resolution.
We will move forward to hold the executive branch accountable for this very serious failure and we will investigate in depth to determine what processes, procedures, or other matters, if any, have been ignored, not complied with, or have been mishandled by the Health Department. The protection of our children must remain our highest priority. Our review of this matter will be handled with a seriousness appropriate to a failure of this magnitude.
This marks a new day in the Common Council’s dealings with this administration with regard to policy, in general, and with appointments, in particular. We will exercise a new level of scrutiny and we will demand a new level of accountability.
Our fact-finding and review efforts into these matters will begin during a special Steering and Rules Committee meeting open to all Council members at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 17, 2018.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
More about the Lead Crisis
- MTEA Statement on Lead Exposure in MPS Buildings - Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association - Apr 30th, 2025
- Statement from Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez on Lead Hazards in MPS Buildings - Sup. Juan Miguel Martinez - Apr 29th, 2025
- MPS Closing Two More Schools For Lead Hazards - Jeramey Jannene - Apr 28th, 2025
- Milwaukee Public Schools Enters New Phase of Lead Cleanup - Milwaukee Public Schools - Apr 28th, 2025
- What To Know and How To Keep Kids Safe From Lead Poisoning - Evan Casey - Apr 25th, 2025
- Congresswoman Gwen Moore and Senator Tammy Baldwin Urge HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to Reinstate Childhood Lead Poisoning Experts at CDC, Push for Approval of Milwaukee’s Request for Federal Assistance - U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore - Apr 23rd, 2025
- MPS’s Fernwood School to Reopen Following Lead Remediation Work - Milwaukee Public Schools - Apr 22nd, 2025
- Milwaukee School Board May Sue Paint Companies Over Lead Crisis - Evan Casey - Apr 19th, 2025
- Trump Administration Axed Federal Employees Needed for MPS Lead Crisis - Jeramey Jannene - Apr 14th, 2025
- New MPS Superintendent Dumps Beleaguered Facilities Director - Jeramey Jannene - Apr 3rd, 2025
Read more about Lead Crisis here
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