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I was pleased to vote last
week in favor of three bills aimed at building on the early success of
Assembly Democrats’ work to stabilize and strengthen Wisconsin’s economy.
The legislation will attract, sustain and grow businesses, utilize new
technology to maximize the impact of workforce development programs and
expand transitional and trial jobs programs that create opportunities for
employers and employees alike OR establish a new tax credit to create new
job opportunities.
We’ve seen some encouraging signs of growth as major employers like Mercury
Marine, Republic Airways, Oshkosh Truck and Logistics Health expand and hire
in Wisconsin. Despite these early successes, I know that some of my
neighbors are still struggling, so my primary focus remains getting
Wisconsin’s economy back on track. That is why we approved innovative
proposals to help more people find jobs and to boost Wisconsin businesses.
The Wisconsin C.O.R.E. Jobs Act is an extensive package of measures that
includes an expansion of the Accelerate Wisconsin program, which has been
lauded as a major factor in biotech companies’ decision to locate here.
C.O.R.E. also creates incentives for companies that retool facilities for
clean energy production and manufacturing and a tax credit for businesses
that pay university or technical college tuition for low-wage employees. Our
comprehensive approach to addressing economic challenges has the state
well-positioned for recovery. It is important to note that we can’t have
successful businesses without successful workers, and vice versa. In
strengthening both elements, we are helping to create a firm foundation for
Wisconsin’s future.
Also approved last week was AB 771, which supports the expanded use of video
conferencing technology to maximize the state’s worker training resources.
These programs, administered through the Wisconsin Job Center system, help
people sign up for unemployment benefits, apply for jobs, prepare resumes,
polish interview techniques and enroll in educational programs. AB 771
provides one-time funding for the purchase and installation of video
conferencing equipment throughout the Wisconsin Job Center system. When the
project is complete, all 22 centers will be connected to conduct
collaborative meetings, career guidance workshops, and workforce readiness
courses statewide. Greater efficiency will lead to a yearly cost savings of
approximately $368,000 each year for the next five years.
The video conferencing equipment will quickly pay for itself, multiplying
the impact of available worker training programs. With this legislation, a
trainer at one center can assist hundreds of people in other centers
throughout the state, giving them the edge they need in this economy to find
a new job.
The Wisconsin Family Jobs Act expands the state’s Trial Jobs and
Transitional Jobs programs, which find employment for people who have basic
skills but lack significant or appropriate work experience. Businesses
entering into a program contract receive federal funds to subsidize an
employee’s wages, in exchange for providing on-the-job training and
long-term employment. The Wisconsin Family Jobs Act has no state fiscal
impact, because it meets requirements for funding through the Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program at the federal level. This is a
smart piece of legislation that supports business growth while creating new
opportunities for struggling Wisconsin workers. If these people fall through
the cracks, we will ultimately pay for it. Instead, by offering them a hand
up now, we will strengthen our workforce and our economy in the long term.
The Wisconsin State Assembly also voted Thursday to approve the Small
Business Jobs Investment Act, which establishes a job creation incentive
specifically for Wisconsin small businesses that hire people who’ve been
struggling to find a job. To qualify for the credit, businesses must hire
employees who have been out of work for two months or more. Limiting the
hiring pool in this way will ease the burden on state unemployment services
and help families who are hurting the most. The incentive set up in the
Small Business Jobs Investment Act can be multiplied, meaning the more jobs
a business creates, the larger benefit it receives.
Small businesses are responsible for more than half the jobs in Wisconsin,
so when we stand up for them, we are standing up for workers. This bill
holds great potential for immediate economic development that will
strengthen our economy in the long run. These measures build on my efforts
to grow Wisconsin’s economy. The State Assembly recently approved
legislation to expand the powerful Enterprise Zone program that has created
and sustained more than 5,500 jobs since July. Earlier this session, we also
established more than $200 million in job creation credits and growth
incentives to businesses and increased investments in worker training
programs. I am proud to have been a part of these job creation efforts.
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