Vos: GOP lawmakers to introduce child care bills in coming weeks

OAK CREEK, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Republican legislative leaders said Tuesday they have their own plan to make child care more affordable, and they'll be sharing it in the next few weeks. 

At a press conference discussing a new tax cut plan, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said GOP leaders are also working on a package of child care bills. 

Republicans have rejected Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' proposal to provide more than $360 million to extend a pandemic-era program that funded day care centers. 

Vos told reporters Republicans want to instead roll back regulations and ease the licensing process. He said providing additional state funding is out of the question.

"It's kind of preposterous to say that we are gonna take taxpayer dollars from everybody to subsidize one specific industry, like child care," said Rep. Vos. "We are not going to increase wages for child care workers by having everyone else pay more."

Democrats bristled at the idea of targeting deregulation instead of direct aid for child care providers.

State Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison) said providers were in a bind because the cost of providing daycare often outweighs what child care businesses can afford to pay their workers.

"At the end of the day, somebody is gonna be paid $13 an hour to take care of a room full of infants, and they can make $18 an hour at the gas station?" Roys said. "You're not gonna have a sustainable industry."

Gov. Evers has called on the Legislature to come in for a special session on Sept. 20 to address child care. 

Vos said Republicans might not have their package of bills ready by then, but he said they expect to introduce their plan sometime this fall.