Milwaukee, Wis. – Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld made stops at Stainless Foundry & Engineering, Lakefront Brewery, and Milwaukee Riverkeeper as part of a tour marking the recent release of the Clean Energy Plan Progress Report by Governor Tony Evers. “Creating and sustaining a clean energy economy for Wisconsin is going to take collaborative action across the public and private sector, learning from each other,” Secretary Blumenfeld said. “The Clean Energy Plan is a starting point for how we can best create pathways toward sustainability that will benefit our business community and economy, as well as the health and pocketbooks of Wisconsin residents

MADISON — Joint Legislative Audit Co-Chairs Senator Eric Wimberger (R-Green Bay) and Representative Robert Wittke (R-Racine) released the following statement in response to audit report 23-6 relating to the Department of Health Services’ (DHS) administration of certain supplemental federal funds. “There is a consistent theme that Governor Evers’ administration mismanaged federal COVID relief funds,” said Wimberger. “We learned today that DHS awarded grants based on lost income, but they never verified if grant recipients actually lost income. In times like the pandemic when resources are flooding our state, we should expect to be able to point back and know exactly

Belmont, Wis. – Journey to the birthplace of Wisconsin’s first Capitol during the state’s 175th anniversary year. First Capitol, one of the Wisconsin Historical Society’s historic sites, is located in Belmont, Wisconsin and consists of two history-filled white wooden frame buildings. The historic site will open for the season on May 27, 2023, and is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the season ending on Sept. 3, 2023. Founded in 1836, Belmont was the first territorial capital of Wisconsin where legislators met for just 47 days. Visitors to First Capitol historic site can take a self-guided

Madison, WI – State Representative Ty Bodden (R-Stockbridge) issued the following statement regarding introducing legislation amending section 18 of article I of the constitution by forbidding government at any level from closing down churches during a state or national emergency.  “I’m proud to have introduced a constitutional amendment that would restore one of our most basic rights as Americans. The Constitution of the United States is clear when it states that the government has no place of establishing religion, or prohibiting the exercise thereof. Introducing this should not be necessary, but unfortunately during COVID, many of our rights were thrown out

MADISON, Wis. — Today, WPR detailed a new grant program created by the Environmental Protection Agency to advance environmental justice and restoration projects in underserved Great Lakes communities. Thanks to President Biden and Democrats in Congress, countless Wisconsin Great Lakes communities will soon be better able to mitigate the effects of climate change. The Great Lakes Environmental Justice Grant Program will be funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which passed in 2021 without the vote of a single Wisconsin Republican in Congress, and will help communities that are disproportionately affected by pollution to restore local habitats, reduce stormwater runoff, control the spread of

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI) led several of his colleagues in urging Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to re-establish the Motorcyclist Advisory Committee (MAC). The committee was supposed to be re-established within 90 days of the Motorcyclist Advisory Council Reauthorization Act of 2021 becoming law, yet over a year has passed since its enactment and no such action has been taken. The letter, which was also signed by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Brad Finstad (R-MN), André Carson (D-IN), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Derrick Van Orden R-MN), Bryan Steil (R-WI), Susie Lee (D-NV), Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI), Joe Wilson (R-SC),

MILWAUKEE — Marquette University reports that 84% of its 2021-22 bachelor’s degree recipients are employed full time or enrolled in graduate/professional school, part of a service program, or are active military, according to the annual Undergraduate First-Destination Survey conducted by the Office of Institutional Research and Analysis. Graduates reported 57% full-time employment by the survey date, which matches the survey’s 10-year average. Among those who are employed full time, 95% report their job is related to their career goals or an entry level position on the way to those goals. It is the fourth straight year in which at least

There were 41,000 workers hired directly by farms in the Lake Region (Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) during the reference week of January 9-15, 2023, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Farm Labor report. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage rate of $18.85 per hour, $1.14 above January 2022. The number of hours worked averaged 39.8 for hired workers during the reference week, compared with 39.1 hours in January 2022. During the reference week of April 10-16, 2023, there were 55,000 workers hired directly by farms in the Lake Region (Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin).

MADISON – Today, the Assembly Committee on Financial Institutions unanimously passed Assembly Bill 121, which would require the State of Wisconsin to implement a 529A ABLE savings account program either directly or through an agreement with another state. In 2014, Congress passed Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) legislation to allow states to implement ABLE programs, allowing individuals with disabilities and their families to set aside tax-free savings for future expenses such as education, transportation, basic living, and health services without impacting their Social Security and Medicaid benefits. The bill previously unanimously passed the Senate Committee on Licensing, Constitution, and

MADISON – In recent weeks, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services published a report entitled Perinatal Periods of Risk (PPOR) in Wisconsin – Non-Hispanic Black Communities, 2015-2019. On Tuesday, May 23rd, 2023, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published No end to racial gap in infant mortality which featured input from DHS chief medical officer for maternal health, and pediatrician, Dr. Jasmine Zapata. Rep. Stubbs (D-Madison) released the following statement: “In the newly released report by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) entitled Perinatal Periods of Risk (PPOR) in Wisconsin – Non-Hispanic Black Communities, 2015-2019, data shows what many of us Black Wisconsinites already know to be

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) announced 10 Wisconsin companies will receive a DATCP Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin (BLBW) grant in 2023. BLBW is a competitive grant program designed to strengthen Wisconsin’s agriculture and food industries by helping farms and businesses more efficiently process, market, and distribute locally grown food products. BLBW grants pro​vide consumers with access to more Wisconsin-grown food products, including organic fruits and vegetables, hazelnut products, locally grown grain, and other value-added products. “These grants play an important role in strengthening the tie between Wisconsin’s food producers and consumers, thus

MADISON, Wis. — During a meeting of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee yesterday, GOP members shut down debate on paid family leave, a policy supported by none other than Republican nominee for governor Tim Michels just last year. Rather than engage in an open discussion, Republicans instead literally silenced the debate by shutting off Rep. Evan Goyke’s microphone.  It’s no wonder JFC Republicans are trying to silence supporters of paid family leave—they know their position is out of touch with Wisconsinites. In a November poll, 73% of registered voters in Wisconsin supported creating a paid family leave program. Despite this widespread support, Republican politicians

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers will this week travel across the state on his annual statewide “Pothole Patrol” tour, repairing potholes and highlighting proposals in his 2023-25 biennial budget to make historic investments in the state’s roads and infrastructure. “In 2018, I made a promise to fix the darn roads, and I’m proud of our work over the past four years to do just that. But our efforts can’t end there—with a historic budget surplus, we have a historic opportunity to invest in the needs that have long been neglected, including building infrastructure, workforce, and economy that are ready for the 21st Century,” said Gov. Evers. “While I’m disappointed Republicans have