— Lawmakers representing parts of south central Wisconsin have a variety of housing ideas to ensure the region’s growing workforce is supported.
Speaking Friday during a virtual event hosted by the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard noted the importance of affordable housing for young families in the area, as well as good schools and child care options.
When asked about the role of the state Senate in addressing the state’s affordable housing shortage, the Madison Dem said establishing a concrete definition of affordability in this context is “vitally important.” She said local officials in the region all have different ideas about what that means.
“Some people do want to be able to afford a $300,000 house, and certainly they could afford that mortgage, but they can’t afford to save up the money to put the down payment down,” she said. “Other people want apartments with multiple bedrooms … There are other people in my district that want to be able to age in place. They have worked with dignity and invested in our community, and they’re terrified about being taxed out of being able to stay in their home.”
GOP Rep. William Penterman of Columbus said some of the smaller communities he represents are seeing second- and third-story commercial and residential spaces go unused.
“How can we incentivize redevelopment of that, for whether that be apartments or new businesses or whatnot?” he said. “So I think the conversation has started on that, and [you will] probably see some legislation soon on that.”
He also called for making the permitting process for new construction more affordable, to drive down the cost of building affordable starter homes in the region.
“I really want to focus on smaller lots, smaller houses for first-time homeowners … There’s lots of folks in my generation who don’t own houses because quite frankly, the price for existing houses has gone up exponentially, especially in the last three years,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dem Rep. Shelia Stubbs of Madison said she’s hearing from constituents that they want to see more new houses and homeownership in the area, rather than another apartment complex. She stressed that housing must come first in the process of economic development and building community.
“It starts with housing, then employment, then support, then treatment, then transportation,” she said. “If a person [doesn’t] have a place to live, how do we expect that they’re able to navigate everything else? Especially if children are involved … We have so many families that are living in their cars. We have to get before this issue and really begin to address it head-on.”
Watch the full discussion here: https://wiseye.org/2023/03/02/gmcc-lunchupdate-with-wisconsin-state-legislators/
See a recent story on affordable housing in Wisconsin: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/deregulation-pitched-as-possible-solution-to-affordable-housing-solution/
— Gov. Tony Evers in his biennial budget is again proposing a measure to boost the minimum age to buy tobacco and nicotine products from 18 to 21 after previous efforts failed to make it to his desk.
But Republicans intend to pull the measure from the budget. The Senate co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee raised doubts about it moving forward as separate legislation, saying stakeholders aren’t pushing it and some view raising the age as unfair.
The state’s minimum age of 18 to buy nicotine, tobacco, or vapor products conflicts with the federal Tobacco 21 requirement implemented in 2019 that bumped the age to 21. Until the state implements the new standard to align with federal law, local police can’t enforce it.
The Assembly passed bills in 2020 and 2022 with bipartisan support to raise the minimum age to 21, but the Senate never took up a vote on the measures. Republicans also rejected the proposal in the guv’s 2021-2023 budget.
The bills were both referred to the Senate Organization Committee, chaired by Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu. The Oostburg Republican did not immediately return a request for comment on why the bills didn’t get a floor vote.
Sen. Howard Marklein, co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee, co-authored both versions of the bill with Rep. John Spiros.
The Spring Green Republican told WisPolitics.com he didn’t know if he would reintroduce the bill since “stakeholders are not pushing it at this point.” He also shed light on why it didn’t get more support in the past.
“I think some people were concerned that if you’re old enough to die for our country, you should be able to smoke,” Marklein said.
See the full story: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/republicans-raise-doubt-about-increasing-tobacco-buying-age-to-21/
— Public Service Commission Chair Rebecca Cameron Valcq has been elected to the National Utilities Diversity Council’s board of directors, the state agency announced.
The NUDC conducts research on how to boost diversity across utilities and communications industries, focused on governance, employment, philanthropy and other areas.
In the PSC release, Vaclq says she’s looking forward to working with other board members to encourage diversity “in all aspects” of the industry.
“Promoting diversity in the utilities and communications industries ensures we have more professionals with different backgrounds and experiences who understand and can appropriately respond to the diverse public service needs of their communities,” she said in a statement.
See more:
— WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com are hosting a March 16 event on the clean energy transition and the role of federal funding.
The discussion will be held 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Discovery World in Milwaukee, featuring experts in renewable energy and technology on how the state can maximize the impact of federal dollars.
The keynote speaker is Justin Worland, a Washington D.C.-based senior correspondent for TIME covering climate change and the intersection of policy, politics and society.
And “UpFront” co-host Gerron Jordan will moderate a panel featuring: Chuck McGinnis, a senior executive with Johnson Controls; Randy Satterfield, a clean energy consultant and former transmission company executive; and Maria Redmond, director of the Wisconsin Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy.
See more event details and register here: https://www.wispolitics.com/event/wispolitics-com-wisbusiness-com-the-clean-energy-shift-is-underway-how-will-the-inflation-reduction-act-accelerate-the-transition
<br><b><i>Top headlines from the Health Care Report … </b></i>
— Gov. Tony Evers has announced the seven appointees to the Genetic Counselors Affiliated Credentialing Board, which includes professionals in this field and several doctors.
For more of the most relevant news on COVID-19, reports on groundbreaking health research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com.
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#TOP STORIES#
# Epic Systems to add 1,700 jobs as it expands its Wizards Academy campus in Verona
# Hundreds gather to honor former UW Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank at memorial service
# Defying doomsday: As work-from-home continues, downtown Milwaukee buildings holding their own
#TOPICS#
# AGRIBUSINESS
– Next gen of dairy innovations on stage at PDPW Conference
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=264&yr=2023
# CONSTRUCTION
– Bayshore to remove remaining vehicles Saturday
# ECONOMY
– Nine Wisconsin businesses make Inc. magazine’s list of fastest-growing Midwest companies
# EDUCATION
– ‘One of the greatest Badgers’: Memorial honors former UW chancellor
– MMSD adds asynchronous learning to make up for snow days
# HEALTH CARE
– Epic Systems to add 1.7K jobs in bid to increase workforce in 2023
– Eau Claire’s Oakwood Hills Animal Hospital files plans to grow
# INVESTING
– Details revealed for Wisconsin’s new $50 million investment fund
# LABOR
– Report: Heavy health care, manufacturing employment base limits remote work in La Crosse County
# LEGAL
– Wisconsin substance center owes $2m in Medicaid fraud case
# POLITICS
– Congress, producers insist on robust U.S. steps to protect common names
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=263&yr=2023
# REAL ESTATE
– Developer buys parking structure for Fiserv’s future downtown HQ, Kohl’s store
– Cafe, roastery proposed for vacant North Avenue property in Wauwatosa
# SMALL BUSINESS
– Lily’s Magical Treats makes magic with marshmallows in Madison
# TECHNOLOGY
– Marquette unveils new advanced automation lab
# TOURISM
– What we now know about the opening, food menu at the Bucks’ Deer District hotel
# TRANSPORTATION
– Midwest could add more ethanol to gasoline under EPA plan
# PRESS RELEASES
<i>See these and other press releases:
http://wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Content=82 </i>
Forward Janesville: Announces award winners for its 22nd annual awards luncheon
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