MON AM News: MMAC leader says effort to address EPA ozone reclassification ‘going well’; KFF Medicaid enrollment report underlines concerns amid possible funding cuts

March 17, 2025

— MMAC President Dale Kooyenga says efforts to address the impacts of an air quality classification change for southeastern Wisconsin are “going well” as legislation to change federal law is in the works.

In an interview last week, the former Republican lawmaker discussed the EPA’s recent move to change a regional ozone nonattainment classification from “moderate” to “serious,” which establishes tougher emissions requirements for local industry. MMAC and other stakeholders are taking a multi-pronged approach to combat the change, arguing the region being bumped to the higher level is mainly due to emissions coming from other states.

Andrew Davis, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce’s vice president of governmental affairs, has been frequently traveling to Washington D.C. to inform legislators about the issue, Kooyenga said. MMAC has also brought on law firm Michael Best for its lobbying effort, and is working with Wisconsin lawmakers whose districts would be most affected on a push to amend the Clean Air Act of 1963.

“I think we have momentum, I mean, we’re in touch with the right people. I have served in the Army with Lee Zeldin, so I know him,” Kooyenga said, referring to President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the EPA. “We’re in contact with the right people at the executive branch level, at the legislative branch level … It’s just really, really hard to change federal law.”

Kooyenga says specific bill language to do so isn’t yet available, but added: “I think we’ll have that shortly.” He hopes to advance the legislation this year.

“In generalities, it would be something to the effect that said emission control efforts can be targeted at the source of emissions, and not at the location that those emissions drift into,” he said, noting much of the emissions hitting Wisconsin’s coastal sensors are drifting from places like Chicago and northern Indiana.

GOP U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, who represents the state’s 1st Congressional District in southeastern Wisconsin, is leading the charge on the legislation. Kooyenga said the state’s 5th CD, represented by GOP U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, is “maybe even more” impacted but added Steil and his team have already been working on this issue for some time.

“We feel comfortable and excited that he’s the lead on this,” Kooyenga said. “He also goes to leadership, respected by leadership, and so hopefully that is helpful in resolving this as well.”

In addition to the legislative approach, Kooyenga said “it looks like there may be processes” through which the EPA can internally review the classification change on a scientific basis. In this way, the agency could determine that “we should actually put the onus on the region that’s actually creating the issue,” he said.

The EPA has said it will offer new guidance on this topic by fall 2026, Kooyenga noted, though he emphasized this route is more time-consuming and less than certain.

“It’s a federal process, it’s going to take a while,” he said with a sigh. “I mean, it looks like they’re looking at the science and making scientific decisions on this, in addition to looking at the law. So, you know, we appreciate that. It has to be done right so it’s long-lasting.”

Meanwhile, the EPA classification change is already having a dampening effect on business investment in the region.

Kooyenga previously said a large deal that would have brought hundreds of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars to the region fell through due to the change. When asked for more details, he said a non-disclosure agreement prevents him from sharing the name of the company, but did provide some general information on the lost opportunity.

“Ironically, it was in the clean energy industry and was foreign direct investment,” he said. “So it would have strengthened America’s ability to manufacture clean energy alternatives, and ironically, this provision had that conversation cease … that’s why we have such an urgency to take care of these matters.”

See earlier coverage of this issue.

— Wisconsin’s southeastern 4th Congressional District has the largest share of residents on Medicaid of any of the state’s districts, a Kaiser Family Foundation report shows, underlining concerns being raised about the impact of possible federal cuts.

The health policy organization recently released an analysis of Medicaid enrollment by congressional district. It follows a U.S. House budget resolution targeting at least $880 billion in cuts under the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid.

While President Donald Trump and GOP leadership have pledged not to make cuts to benefits under the federal health program, instead focusing on fraud and waste, Democrats and Medicaid advocates argue Republicans are trying to take funding from critical programs to pay for tax cuts for the rich.

Dem U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore of Milwaukee, who represents the state’s 4th CD, has been slamming Republicans over possible cuts. In recent remarks posted to X, she said “in order to fund the $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, they would simply transfer that wealth” from Medicaid and other programs.

“Veterans. Seniors. Disabled people. Disadvantaged children. That’s who Republicans are looking to take from in order to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and corporations,” Moore wrote.

The state’s 4th CD, which includes most of Milwaukee, has 308,600 residents on Medicaid, according to KFF. The next-highest total, in the state’s Republican 1st CD, is 168,700. The 4th CD has the most enrollees by percentage with 43%, while no other district in the state exceeds 23%.

The 4th CD also has 130,200 adults on the program — while other districts have fewer than 70,000 each — and 111,800 children on Medicaid. Other Wisconsin districts have between 31,600 and 60,400 children enrolled in the program.

And the 4th has 44,800 residents with disabilities on Medicaid, nearly double the number of the next-highest, the 1st with 23,100.

See the analysis here.

Top headlines from the Health Care Report…

— The Assembly Committee on Health, Aging and Long Term Care has voted 11-5 to recommend passage of a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for minors.

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

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— Wisconsin over the last several years has seen “one of its largest influxes of new residents in recent history,” driven by a nationwide increase in international migration.

That’s one conclusion of a recent Wisconsin Policy Forum report, which shows a “marked increase” in net migration to the state since 2022 that far exceeds pre-pandemic levels.

Over the 12-month period ending June 30, 2024, the state gained 22,146 residents through international migration and 6,332 through domestic migration. This net migration of nearly 29,000 residents made up 93.2% of the state’s population growth over this period, while the rest came from natural population change as births exceeded deaths by about 2,000.

And over the last three years, net migration to Wisconsin was at its highest level since at least 2004, WPF found. In each of the last three years, net migration to the state exceeded 25,000, more than doubling the previous annual record from the past two decades.

This “surge” of immigration occurred under the Biden administration, and report authors note President Donald Trump campaigned on ending this trend.

“With two of the state’s three sources of population growth — natural change and international migration — showing signs of vulnerability, Wisconsin and other states in similar positions may wish to double down on efforts to attract residents from other states and to retain those already here,” they wrote.

As examples, WPF points to boosting availability and affordability for housing, attracting more out-of-state students to the Universities of Wisconsin, or other incentives. Authors say elected officials “may wish to consider policies that are attractive” to parents of young children, as this could lead to more net migration as well as driving natural population growth.

See the report.

— Lobbyist Brian Taffora has joined HB Strategies’ Wisconsin state advocacy team as a principal in its Madison office.

Taffora previously worked as a principal for Milwaukee-based law firm Michael Best Strategies and served on the transition team for then Gov.-elect Tony Evers. He also served as director of economic development for then-Milwaukee County Exec Chris Abele, and held leadership roles with the Wisconsin Business Council, a statewide organization he helped establish.

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TOPICS

CONSTRUCTION

– Northwestern Mutual sees milestone as 18-story building tops off

EDUCATION

– New film documents the closure of two-year college campuses in Wisconsin

– Milwaukee Health Department closing 3 more MPS schools due to ‘significant lead hazards’

ENVIRONMENT

– Nearly 10,000 gallons of wastewater mistakenly dumped into Lincoln Creek, Milwaukee River

MANUFACTURING

– Milwaukee manufacturer files for receivership