MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The Latest on public hearing on Gov. Scott Walker welfare proposals (all times local):
12:30 p.m.
Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says a welfare overhaul package supported by Gov. Scott Walker promotes accountability and personal responsibility.
Vos testified Wednesday at a joint Senate and Assembly public hearing on 10 bills Walker is asking the Legislature to quickly pass.
The bills would increase work requirements for adults on food stamps, impose the work requirement on parents of school-aged children and require a photo ID to use food stamps.
Vos says the measures will help prevent welfare fraud and abuse and get people off of public assistance and into a job.
Opponents argue the bills create new hurdles for people who need public assistance to access the benefits.
The Wisconsin Council of Churches says many of the proposals fail to address the real challenges faced by the unemployed and those seeking better jobs.
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6:18 a.m.
The public gets its chance to weigh in on Gov. Scott Walker’s welfare overhaul package that includes forcing parents on food stamps with school-aged children to work or be in job training.
The Legislature scheduled a joint public hearing Wednesday on a package of 10 bills Walker is calling for lawmakers to pass this year before the session ends in March.
The proposals include increasing the work requirement for able-bodied adults on food stamps from 20 to 30 hours a week. Walker is also calling for that to be expanded to parents for the first time.
He also wants food stamp recipients to be required to use a photo ID to get their benefits.
Wisconsin would be one of the first states with such requirements should they be enacted.
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