Finance committee will leave SeniorCare program alone

MADISON (AP) — Republicans who control the Legislature's finance committee say they're going to reject Gov. Scott Walker's cuts to Wisconsin's popular SeniorCare program.

Gov. Scott Walker's budget proposal calls for cutting $97 million from the senior citizen prescription drug discount program. It also would require participants to first sign up for the federal Medicare Part D drug program and use SeniorCare for any additional coverage.

The finance committee is scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to reject, tweak or accept the proposal. Rep. John Nygren, the committee's co-chairman, told reporters the panel will reject all of Walker's changes and leave the program untouched. He says seniors like the program's simplicity.

Rep. Andy Jorgensen, a Fort Atkinson Democrat who doesn't sit on committee, says the move is a good for seniors.