Stakeholders are voicing opposition to proposed minimum staffing standards for nursing homes they say are unrealistic considering the state’s workforce challenges and a lack of dedicated funding.  The Biden administration proposed the standards in September in an effort to address staffing issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure residents’

Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand has called for action on the federal Affordable Connectivity Program, noting it’s set to expire in the spring without additional funding from Congress.  She argues Wisconsin is “poised to take a major step backwards” on internet access and affordability if the program isn’t extended

Milwaukee-area manufacturers are more optimistic about 2024 than other businesses in the region, according to the latest Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce survey.  Seventy-one percent of surveyed manufacturers expect sales to increase this year, while 13% expect sales to fall. By comparison, 54% of non-manufacturers predict higher sales in 2024

An executive with Hoffman Planning, Design & Construction in Appleton is seeing a “real surge” in interest for new geothermal and solar projects as federal incentives reduce related costs.  Mark Hanson, the company’s director of sustainable services, spoke yesterday during the Renew Wisconsin Summit at the Monona Terrace in Madison.

The co-founder of Smart Infusion Therapy Services in Eau Claire says the business is experiencing an “avalanche” of patient demand following the news that two western Wisconsin hospitals are shutting down.  Hospital Sisters Health System last week said it will be closing HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire and

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin is warning that foreign investors buying U.S. farmland pose a threat to local economies, food supplies and national security as she backs a bill to expand oversight of such purchases.  The Madison Dem and a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers yesterday announced the introduction of the

Wisconsin residents with a bachelor’s degree tend to earn substantially more money over the course of their career than those with only a high school degree, according to a recent UW-Madison report.  But the gender wage gap persists. The Division of Extension report was authored by Prof. Steven Deller, an

Republican lawmakers recently circulated legislation that would create a tax credit aimed at attracting video game companies to Wisconsin.  Rep. Clint Moses, R-Menomonie, and Sen. Patrick Testin, R-Stevens Point, sent a co-sponsorship memo to other lawmakers promoting the bill. In it, they note the video game industry dwarfs both movies

A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Co. has been approved for up to $5.85 million in state tax credits, which it can earn through a planned expansion in Grant County.  That’s according to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., which yesterday announced the WEDC Board of Directors had approved the performance-based tax credits. The

Subcommittee leaders on the Governor’s Task Force on Workforce and Artificial Intelligence say Wisconsin should invest in tax credits for AI development, assistance for workers displaced by the technology and industry-informed skills training.  During yesterday’s virtual meeting of the task force, representatives of the group’s three subcommittees shared updates on

Federal officials have announced nearly $640,000 in new funding for a Wisconsin-based project aimed at helping farmers markets reach new customers.  The national nonprofit Farmers Market Coalition and UW-Madison were selected for this funding by the USDA Agricultural and Food Research Initiative grant program. Their project’s main goal is to

Federal officials at a stop in Wauwatosa touted newly announced grant funding for EV charging-related projects, including a training program in Wisconsin. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su argued “too many people have been left out of the promise of a good job” during remarks at the Milwaukee Electrical Joint

Confidence in the state economy has dropped sharply among Wisconsin business leaders over the past six months, according to the latest Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce survey.  WMC’s Wisconsin Employer Survey found 22% of responding business leaders rank the state economy as strong — well below the 39% seen in a

The new leader of the Wisconsin Realtors Association, Tom Larson, says the group aims to help address the state’s housing inventory shortage and improve coordination with local groups.  WRA today is announcing Larson — who has spent 27 years with the organization — as president and CEO. He’s taking over

Grocery store customers should expect to see more self-checkout lanes and robots doing stocking and inventory tasks, according to the head of the Wisconsin Grocers Association.  In a message published recently by the Wisconsin Bankers Association’s Wisconsin Economic Report, WGA President and CEO Brandon Scholz said the pandemic-driven higher inflation

By Larry Sandler For WisBusiness.com Two passenger rail ideas once left for dead — a Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter line and an Amtrak route from Milwaukee to Madison — are back on the study track. Should these and other proposals come to fruition, passenger trains could one day link eight of Wisconsin’s

Sen. Duey Stroebel says he’s seeing bipartisan support for a bill that would provide $7.5 million in state matching funds for the Wisconsin BioHealth Tech Hub effort.  The Saukville Republican and Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, recently sent a co-sponsorship memo to lawmakers on the proposal. It would authorize the

Health workers employed by Planned Parenthood clinics across Wisconsin are moving to unionize, according to labor organizers.  The Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals this week announced the plan, calling it a “critical step” toward strengthening Planned Parenthood and organized labor in the face of “political attacks” on both. 

A UW-Madison researcher has developed a method for identifying insect infestations in plants, giving farmers a potential new tool for protecting their crops.  The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation is touting the invention as a top licensing prospect in the food and agriculture sector.  Assistant Prof. Emily Bick has created a