Milwaukee City Wire

Since his last update, Wisconsin State Representative Rob Brooks introduced a budget motion aimed at increasing funding for private duty nursing (PDN) in the 2025-2027 biennial state budget. The motion was adopted as part of the budget package.

Brooks highlighted that private duty nursing care is essential for medically complex and vulnerable patients under Medicaid, many of whom rely on life-sustaining technology. He noted that Wisconsin's current Medicaid reimbursement rates are lower than those in neighboring states—by about $20 per hour for registered nurses and more than $30 per hour for licensed practical nurses—which has contributed to a shortage of available nurses and reduced access to necessary home care services.

"In order to keep Wisconsin’s skilled workforce in the state and bring children out of the hospital, I requested an additional investment of $3.8 million. This will bring PDN rates up to a livable wage for nurses and compete with surrounding states while ensuring that children with acute disabilities are able to leave the hospital. An increase to the PDN Medicaid reimbursement rates will increase caregiver access. This can decrease hospital stays, reduce hospital readmissions, level the playing field for recruiting highly skilled nurses, and most importantly, help the medically fragile receive the highest quality in-home care with medical oversight," Brooks stated.

The fiscal impact of this proposal is estimated at $3.8 million. According to Brooks, individuals often face extended hospital stays due to a shortage of homecare nurses, which increases costs for Medicaid since institutional care is more expensive than home-based PDN.

The Assembly and Senate passed the 2025-27 biennium budget this week, which Governor Tony Evers signed into law on Thursday morning. While described as a bipartisan effort, Brooks said conservatives achieved several legislative priorities.

On taxes, Brooks reported nearly $1.5 billion in reductions for residents. The budget eliminates taxes on natural gas and electricity and blocks new sales tax authority for local governments as well as a proposed 9.8% income tax bracket from Governor Evers—a move Brooks said prevented $3.7 billion in potential tax hikes.

Childcare funding was also addressed in the budget with several measures:

- Increased maximum reimbursement rates under Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program.

- Additional funds to waive copayments for families below 100% of federal poverty level.

- Support for Wonderschool initiatives and a pilot project adjusting worker-to-child ratios.

- Extra payments for young children under Wisconsin Shares.

- Creation of “large family child care centers” category with corresponding regulatory changes.

- Funding allocated toward elementary school readiness programs.

For child welfare services:

- Over $2.8 million provided to increase kinship care and foster care rates starting January 2026.

- One-time funding maintained support for Triple P, an online abuse prevention program operated through Children’s Wisconsin.

Education received attention through:

- Extension of school choice programs to four-year-old kindergarteners while freezing enrollment caps.

- New investments in school mental health services ($20 million), early literacy initiatives ($37.1 million), and assessments of reading readiness ($1.45 million above base funding).

Transportation funding included:

- A one-time transfer of $565 million from general fund to transportation fund.

- Annual increases in county and municipal transportation aids by 3%.

- One-time local road improvement funds totaling $100 million distributed among counties, towns, villages, and cities.

- Additional funding directed toward agricultural roads improvements, airport repairs at Lakeland Airport in Vilas County, state highway rehabilitation ($322 million over two years), major highway development programs ($86 million federal plus other sources), work zone safety projects, DOT maintenance needs ($30 million), patrol equipment upgrades (body-worn cameras/in-car video), hearing protection programs, and a Live 911 pilot project by Department of Military Affairs.

For higher education reform within University of Wisconsin System:

- Capped number of positions created without legislative approval,

- Required transferability of core course credits between system institutions,

- Mandated minimum teaching loads for faculty,

- Allocated trust funds toward building planning projects.

Brooks encouraged constituents interested in tracking legislative activities or specific bills to sign up through the legislature’s notification service.

Brooks is a Republican who was elected to represent Wisconsin's 59th House district in 2025 after replacing Ty Bodden (https://ballotpedia.org/Rob_Brooks).

He concluded by inviting feedback from constituents regarding these updates.