Wisconsin lawmakers finally pass coronavirus relief bill

Better late than never, Wisconsin state lawmakers finally passed a coronavirus relief package that has now been signed into law. Wisconsin was one of the last remaining states to pass any piece of legislation responding to the outbreak. The action, finally, came more than five weeks after the virus first was detected in Wisconsin.  More than four weeks since Governor Evers declared a public health emergency. More than three weeks after Governor Tony Evers first released his Covid-19 Response Bill, and more than two weeks after the federal government passed the CARES Act, sending relief to states. It shouldn’t have taken this long. Of course, those same lawmakers who dragged their feet to finally respond to the crisis are busy patting themselves on the back over what they have done. But their work is not done. The legislation passed waives the one-week waiting period for applying for unemployment benefits, but does little to help businesses which are struggling. It does nothing to provide hazard pay or workmen’s comp to our frontline workers like first responders and healthcare workers. And it does nothing to ensure that Wisconsin voters can stay safe when they vote in November through mail-in ballots. Our elected officials have finally done something. Let’s hope it is not a matter of weeks before they do more.