Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

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Madison constituents concerned with health care

A legislator’s efforts to know his constituents better suggested Monday that Madison residents live up to their liberal reputation, with a strong majority in support of universal health care, environmental issues and gun control.

Results of the annual survey by Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, show 76 percent of Madison residents think it is the job of government to make sure all Wisconsin residents have health insurance.

“It’s clear that my constituents believe that the government should have a role in health care,” Black said. “Health care costs are skyrocketing, and more people are struggling to afford necessary, basic care.”

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But Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, said he doesn’t think the public trusts government to head up the health care sector.

“Spencer Black’s district is certainly not reflective of the entire state of Wisconsin,” Suder added. “He comes from an ultra-liberal constituency.”

Black said he thinks universal health care is a necessity, not just because of public health issues, but as a way to enhance the state economy.

According to Black, administrative costs like advertising, insurance claims and paperwork currently account for more than 30 percent of total health care costs in Wisconsin.

However, legislation for government-sponsored health care proves hard to pass. The Healthy Wisconsin Proposal, a proposal for the state government to ensure near-universal health care, failed in late 2007.

Black attributed the Healthy Wisconsin Proposal’s failure to opposition by majority Republicans in the state Assembly.

“The problem is, they didn’t pass it through their own house,” said Brian Pleva, aide to Assembly Majority Leader Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon.

Black’s survey results also brought to light controversy over issues of gun control in Wisconsin.

Only 6 percent of Black’s constituents supported a proposal by Rep. Frank Lasee, R-Bellevue, to allow teachers to carry guns in schools in order to enhance security.

Wisconsin state law currently disallows residents from carrying concealed weapons, and the formation of a new student organization at University of Wisconsin, Students for Concealed Carry, has opened the issue to debate in the past few weeks.

“Wisconsin debate is full of rhetoric and misconceptions about concealed carry,” said Bret Bostwick, campus leader of Students for Concealed Carry at UW. “It’s certainly a misconception that concealed carry leads to more gun violence — statistics show the opposite.”

Bostwick added current law takes guns away from law-abiding citizens and, by nature of the law, puts them in the hands of criminals. According to Bostwick, this causes gun violence to escalate.

However, Black said concealed carry allows what could be a simple bar fight or brawl to develop into a shooting or stabbing.

Black added his constituents have been consistently opposed to concealed carry over the years and emphasized the difficulty for anyone, from trained professionals to gun owners, to use a weapon in a dangerous situation.

Consistent with a liberal platform, 85 percent of Madison residents support a background check before gun sales, and 84 percent oppose lowering the hunting age from 12 to 10 years old.

But Bostwick said concealed carry is not a partisan issue.

“Gov. Doyle has made it partisan by vetoing concealed carry,” Bostwick said. “But our student group is made up of Republicans, Democrats, libertarians — we draw from a wide range of ideologies.”

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