“Are you guys so afraid to vote?” Democrats try to force vote on popular postpartum Medicaid bill, blocked by Speaker Robin Vos

MADISON, Wis. (CIVIC MEDIA) – Democrats in the Assembly tried to force a vote Wednesday on a popular bill that would extend Medicaid coverage for postpartum women, but that effort ended with a Representative having their mic cut off and told she’s out of order. 

While discussing one of almost 50 bills on the Assembly floor Wednesday, Rep. Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa) changed the subject while she spoke. 

“It is an absolute disgrace that Wisconsin is one of the two states,” Vining said before being interrupted by Speaker Pro Tempore Kevin Petersen (R-Waupaca). “Representative from the 13th, we are talking about the bill,” Petersen said. 

“If you wanna protect kids, let’s protect kids,” Vining replied. “No, your point of order is non-germane,” Petersen said. Vining asked “you’re not gonna let me make my argument?”

They cut off Vining’s microphone, but she was loud enough to be heard throughout the chamber and on the livestream. 

“You guys are so afraid to vote?” she yelled from the floor. “Seriously?” 

There are only two states without yearlong Medicaid coverage for new moms: Wisconsin and Arkansas

Experts say all women are particularly vulnerable in the first year after giving birth. The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any developed nation. Data from the CDC Foundation shows about 20% of maternal deaths happen between 43 days and one year after giving birth. 

Black women are burdened with even higher risks. CDC data shows nationwide, Black women are three times more likely to die of a pregnancy-related issue than white women. In Wisconsin it’s even worse: the Department of Health Services reports Black women here are five times as likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women. Wisconsin routinely ranks among states with the worst outcomes for Black moms and babies.

“We know non-Hispanic Black birthing people experience both interpersonal racism and the effects of systemic racism, which can have serious impacts on their birth and health outcomes,” says the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

Almost everywhere in America, low-income women can stay on Medicaid for one year after giving birth. There are two exceptions: Arkansas and Wisconsin. In those two states, women lose coverage 60 days after giving birth.

Arielle Exner from the Department of Health Services testified earlier this year that there were 63 pregnancy-related deaths in Wisconsin from 2020 to 2022. She said 76% of those women were on Medicaid at the time of birth, and lost Medicaid coverage after 60 days.

Wisconsinites & lawmakers support postpartum Medicaid expansion

A bill in the Wisconsin Assembly would expand Medicaid coverage to a full year for postpartum women. It has broad bipartisan support: it has more than 70 co-sponsors, and more than two dozen of them are Republicans. 

There’s one person stopping the bill from going to the floor for a vote: Speaker Robin Vos. A recent ProPublica story detailed how Vos has moved the bill to a committee that doesn’t meet often. He’s previously said “we already have enough welfare in Wisconsin”. 

A Marquette poll from a few months ago found that 66% of Wisconsin residents surveyed support the postpartum Medicaid expansion to one year.

Democrats attempted to force a vote on postpartum Medicaid expansion, but Vos acted first

The Assembly was set to take up almost 50 bills on Wednesday. Democrats were poised to petition for the postpartum Medicaid bill to be called for a vote. With so many bipartisan co-sponsors, if all of them voted for the bill, it would easily pass. 

However, Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) said Vos learned about the petition beforehand, and moved the bill. That essentially made the petition void.

“The Speaker chose to withdraw the bill from rules committee and move it,” Subeck said. “Why might he do that? To avoid getting this to a vote on the Assembly floor. And I’m mad about it.”

“73 legislators on both sides of the aisle have signed on to Senate Bill 23, including 29 Assembly Republicans. But Robin Vos, his leadership team, and the Republican caucus continue to stand in the way of a vote on this bill,” Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) said in a statement. “We began the withdrawal petition process to finally bring Senate Bill 23 to the Assembly floor and pass this important policy for Wisconsin’s moms and babies, but Vos made a procedural move to block it once again.”

The Speaker moving the bill means Democrats cannot bring up their petition to force a vote again for another 21 days.