Democrats ask Gov. Walker to take federal money for Medicaid

MADISON (AP) — Democratic lawmakers say they hope Gov. Scott Walker will change his mind and accept federal dollars for Medicaid.

Rep. Daniel Riemer of Milwaukee and Sen. Jon Erpenbach of Middleton proposed a plan to expand Wisconsin's BadgerCare coverage. They say it would save the state $240 million over the next two years.

But the bill faces opposition as it enters the Republican-controlled Assembly and Senate chambers. And Walker has said he won't accept federal funds for the program.

The Democrats say they scaled back their proposal to make it more attractive to Republicans. The lawmakers previously called for full expansion of Medicaid coverage in Wisconsin, but say they will now settle for partial expansion. They said five other states under Republican control have implemented similar plans.