Would you like to take a 10 month vacation? Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?
Well, that’s what the State Assembly leadership, including Speaker Robin Vos, just did. They aren’t going to meet again, other than a special session the Governor has demanded to pass his plan to provide support to hard working Wisconsinites, until after the November election.
The Governor’s plan is a good start and badly needed to help our state continue to recover from the pandemic, including helping parents with the cost of child care.
The legislature should still be on the job.
This isn’t how a democracy should work, especially with a “full time” legislature.
This was decided by the legislative majority. There were many allies of Main Street Alliance in the legislature who firmly opposed this move, like Rep. Robyn Vining.
Do they feel like there’s nothing left for the legislature to do to help Main Street this year?
It seems to Main Street Alliance there’s some unfinished business, like:
- Getting Badgercare expansion, with a public option done;
- Passing Paid Leave for small businesses;
- Increasing investments in childcare;
- Cracking down on Uber eats, Grub Hub and other third party delivery services;
- Repealing the personal property tax;
- Providing additional capital access for small business to recover from the pandemic;
- Creating a one stop shop online portal to help small business.
What our members are saying:
Patrick DePula, Salvatore’s Tomato Pies, Madison, WI:
“As an employer running several businesses, staffing has been challenging. We pay well, provide health insurance and are a great place to work. But many structural issues in our economy are keeping people on the sideline, including lack of access to reliable, affordable and flexible child care. Capping child care costs at 7% for most families and setting a floor wage of $15 an hour for child care educators… is long overdue. Let’s get it done.”
Michelle Tressler, Hinterland Brewing, Green Bay, WI:
“I struggle to negotiate reasonable health insurance premiums for my 100 employees. Only about one quarter of my employees currently participate in the insurance I offer because it’s so expensive, with premiums as high as $2,000 per month for families. Not too many people can take $2,000 out of their net pay every month.”
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By ending the legislative session the legislative majority has turned their back on Main Street. We look forward to working with our 400+ member businesses and allies across the state to ask why at town halls, coffee clutches, office hours and other events. We’re going to demand they get to work. If we don’t get a 10 month paid vacation than they shouldn’t either.
