The Wisconsin Hospital Association is urging state officials to “safely eliminate steps” in the licensure process to help health care professionals get to work faster. In its latest report on the health care workforce, WHA details a variety of proposals to address the industry’s worsening labor force crisis. Ann Zenk,

Racine-area lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say they’re optimistic about the potential for a $1 billion data center Microsoft is proposing for Mount Pleasant.  State and local officials have announced a proposed agreement between Microsoft Corporation, the village of Mount Pleasant and Racine County under which the company

Federal officials say businesses in Wisconsin will have numerous opportunities to benefit from Inflation Reduction Act tax credits.  In a webinar yesterday, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said “now is the time” for manufacturers and other Wisconsin companies to make sustainability investments.  “Whether that’s taking advantage of the tax credits for

The head of the Wisconsin Environmental Initiative says federal funding for clean energy job training and a “direct pay” provision in the Inflation Reduction Act will have a major impact in the state.  WEI Executive Director John Imes called the direct pay aspect of the law a “game changer” for

More farmers will be able to participate in conservation programs through funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, according to the head of the Wisconsin Farmers Union.  Speaking yesterday during a virtual press conference organized by Dem lawmakers, WFU President Darin Von Ruden touted the impact of the IRA’s $20 billion

Green Bay Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy says the TitletownTech startup program “could be as impactful as anything that the Packers have done.”  He spoke yesterday at the 10th annual Wisconsin Tech Summit, held by the Wisconsin Technology Council at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The event is designed

An expert panel agreed on the transformative potential of federal funding for clean energy, but uncertainty remains about the timing of the funds, the dollar amount and the ultimate impact in Wisconsin.  Speaking yesterday at a Milwaukee event hosted by WisPolitics and WisBusiness, Wisconsin Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy

A partner with Madison-based Rock River Capital Partners says many young entrepreneurs in the state need to reset their funding expectations as they meet with venture capital firms.  Speaking during a recent Wisconsin Technology Council meeting held at UW-Whitewater, Andy Walker explained coastal startup culture is “a lot more cutthroat”

Forty-one percent of all Milwaukee workers are paid less than $15 per hour, according to a new report from a UW-Madison think tank.  In its “Facts from the Frontline” report, COWS highlights the declining share of manufacturing employees making up the region’s workforce, as well as falling union membership and

Entrepreneurs in Wisconsin raised at least $620 million through 87 deals in 2022, according to preliminary figures gathered by the Wisconsin Technology Council. While that falls short of 2021’s record high of nearly $869 million, it would still be the second highest annual investment total for the state. It exceeds

A spokesperson for grocers in Wisconsin is urging lawmakers to take action this session to allow e-commerce alcohol sales and reduce retail theft.  Jim Hyland, vice president of communications and public affairs for Roundy’s Supermarkets, spoke yesterday during a hearing hosted by the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economy and Small

Experts say state and local government entities can help address Wisconsin’s affordable housing shortage by helping to cover related infrastructure costs.  Kurt Paulsen, a professor of urban planning at UW-Madison, spoke yesterday during a joint hearing of the Senate Committee on Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry and Assembly Committee on

NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes has received and installed a specialized device that can produce a radioactive material used in certain cancer therapies.  The company recently announced the custom-built electron beam accelerator was delivered and installed at its Beloit facility, which will be dedicated to producing the therapeutic radioisotope called actinium-225.  According

After a strong post-pandemic recovery, Glendale-based Weyco Group is looking to expand further into the outdoor shoe market and continue growing through acquisitions.  That was the message CEO Tom Florsheim delivered yesterday to members of the Milwaukee Rotary Club. Speaking at the group’s latest luncheon meeting, he said the footwear

Attorney General Josh Kaul and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin are accusing Meta of neglecting small businesses in Wisconsin whose social media accounts are hacked.  In a recent letter to Meta Platforms Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead, the state AG and Madison Dem criticize the California company’s “inadequate small business customer

January home sales in the state dropped by more than a third over the year as prices rose, according to a recent Wisconsin Realtors Association report.  A total of 3,114 homes were sold in Wisconsin last month, the group’s latest report shows. That’s compared to 4,702 homes sold in January

The head of NFIB Wisconsin says the state’s small business community opposes elements of Gov. Tony Evers’ budget aimed at paid family leave and a targeted retirement savings program.  “When the government mandates a retirement program, or mandates paid family and medical leave, that’s not trusting the private sector to

A newly formed lobbying and advocacy organization called Powering Wisconsin aims to “protect the status quo” around wind and solar development in the state.  That’s according to Peder Mewis, regional policy director for the Clean Grid Alliance, based in Minnesota. Powering Wisconsin is a new initiative of the CGA, which