(The Center Square) – Wisconsin joined a lawsuit to try to stop the loss of $225 million in federal money the state expected to get for mental and behavioral health services, substance abuse, public health and emergency medical services.
Gov. Tony Evers, a second-term Democrat, said the state will join a lawsuit to stop President Donald Trump’s administration from cutting the money previously approved by Congress to support public health infrastructure and health services following the pandemic.
Trump and Department of Government Efficiency leader Elon Musk made the cuts as part of their ongoing push to trim the federal government and federal spending.
“President Trump and Elon Musk are recklessly trying to gut funding Wisconsin is depending on to help make our kids, families, and communities healthier and safer to help pay for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires,” Evers said in a statement. “These cuts will hurt Wisconsin’s ability to combat fentanyl and the opioid epidemic, help folks in mental health crisis, and respond to future public health emergencies. I won’t stand for it.”
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said it received notice of the end of six grants totaling more than $225 million.
The money was expected to be used for things like:
• The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
• 988 crisis county connection services.
• Local substance abuse prevention programs.
• Community health workers.
• Access to fentanyl test strip kits.
• Peer-run respites and recovery centers.
• Local public health departments and efforts to improve information infrastructure.
• Efforts to strengthen local EMS responses to local public health crises.
• Public health laboratories.
• Wisconsin Immunization Registry.
• Regional crisis stabilization facilities.
“By yanking funding Congress already approved, it’s clear President Trump and Elon Musk want to obliterate our constitutional checks and balances to give themselves sole, unchecked power to make decisions – and Republicans in Congress are doing nothing to stop them. It’s breathtaking,” Evers said. “The Trump administration every day is threatening Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and critical programs Wisconsin’s families, farmers, seniors, and veterans depend on every day.”
