One-third of Wisconsin’s stimulus money earmarked for government
(The Center Square) – One in every three dollars Wisconsin received from Washington for the coronavirus has gone or will go to government.
Gov. Tony Evers on Monday released a breakdown of where $4.5 billion in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding has been allocated.
“We’ve made critical investments to get help to those who need it, get shots in arms, and put our state and our economy in the best position to recover and bounce back from this pandemic,” Evers said in a statement.
There is a difference between allocated and actually spent. The governor’s numbers show the money that’s been allocated. The numbers don’t show how much money has actually been spent.
Between the two programs, at least $1.5 billion is going to government.
Gov. Evers allocated the biggest single piece of Wisconsin’s stimulus haul, $525 in ARPA money, for pandemic response and government operations.
The largest single piece of Wisconsin’s CARES Act money, $368 million has been allocated to pay for coronavirus testing, both through the Wisconsin National Guard and local health departments.
The governor also earmarked $223 million in CARES Act money for state agency operations, as well as $201 million for local and tribal governments. K-12 schools in Wisconsin have been allocated $110 million in CARES aid, while the University of Wisconsin System is set to receive $36.8 million. The governor claims to have allocated another $32.6 million for surge operations.
Most of Wisconsin’s stimulus money has gone to grants, including grants for small businesses.
The $242 million spent on the state’s We’re All In Business Grant program is the second largest allocation of CARES money. And the $420 million in Wisconsin Tomorrow Recovery Grants is the third largest piece of Wisconsin’s ARPA money.
Millions more have gone to hospitals, healthcare providers, and for ventilators.
“Getting the COVID-19 vaccine is an essential part of putting this pandemic behind us as we work to make key investments that will not only support our state’s continued economic recovery but build the future we want for our state,” the governor added.
The $4.5 billion in CARES and ARPA money for the state is in addition to $2.3 billion sent directly to local and county governments. The governor’s office is not saying where that money has been allocated, or how it will be spent.
Disclaimer: This content is distributed by The Center Square
