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Walker proposing to ax body that reviews DWD decisions

By: Erika Strebel, [email protected]//February 8, 2017//

Walker proposing to ax body that reviews DWD decisions

By: Erika Strebel, [email protected]//February 8, 2017//

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Gov. Scott Walker is proposing to eliminate the independent body that reviews decisions handed down by the state Department of Workforce Development’s administrative law judges.

According to budget documents released Wednesday, Walker is proposing that the Labor and Industry Review Commission be eliminated to save the state $3.2 million over three years.

For cases dealing with unemployment benefits, Walker is proposing giving review and remand authority to the administrators of the DWD’s jobless benefits and equal rights divisions of the DWD. For cases involving workers’ compensation claims, he is recommending that hearings and appeals be handled by the state Department of Administration.

According to the budget documents released Wednesday, the proposed changes would make second-level reviews faster and more streamlined. The documents refer to the commission as “an unnecessary layer of government.”

LIRC and the DWD have previously clashed over the interpretation of how state law defines jobless benefits fraud and who should have the burden of proof in such cases.

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