Gov. Scott Walker’s political career has been marked by efforts to dismantle safety net programs or, if not dismantle, run them into the ground through mismanagement. In 2009, while Walker was Milwaukee County executive, the state intervened and took over the county’s public assistance programs due to years of mismanagement.

As Governor, Scott Walker has proposed overhauling the state’s programs that provide care to the disabled and elderly, drawing outrage from disability advocates and groups such as AARP. Walker has also reduced eligibility for unemployment compensation, imposed additional requirements on recipients of public aid, and has proposed drug testing for these recipients in his most recent budget.