— Milwaukee 2024 Host Committee Chair Reince Priebus is praising the bipartisan cooperation required to pull off next year’s Republican National Convention.
Speaking yesterday during a meeting of the Milwaukee Rotary Club, he said attendees “should feel really great about” the Democratic city opening its arms to those with opposing viewpoints. He noted the Milwaukee Common Council voted unanimously to approve hosting next year’s gathering, and also touted the work of Dem Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and other local leaders in securing the convention.
Priebus previously served as chair of the Wisconsin Republican Party and the Republican National Committee, as well as White House chief of staff under President Donald Trump.
“I think it brings an extra bonus that in tough political environments, that we have an opportunity in Wisconsin … to show the world that Republicans and Democrats can work together for good,” he said.
The 2024 Republican National Convention will be held July 15-18, 2024 at the Fiserv Forum in Wisconsin’s largest city. Delegates from the party will gather to choose the GOP nominees for president and vice president to run in next year’s election.
But while the convention officially runs for just three days, Priebus told Rotary Club members they could expect to see increased visitor activity for at least two weeks as groups come into town early for member events and other gatherings.
Organizers for the convention predict Milwaukee will see a $200 million impact from the event itself, along with an elevated national profile as people from across the country tune in. Visit Milwaukee expects 45,000 attendees on peak convention days, with about a third of that number being delegates.
“Every hotel room will be booked from Madison to Kohler down to Kenosha,” Priebus said. “The buses, the logistics, the parking garages — when you plan a convention like this, it takes all of that to keep it all together. And to come in unified, Republicans and Democrats, is something that is very unique.”
He said the host committee’s fundraising efforts are proceeding “completely on target,” as coordination with law enforcement and other partners continues. Priebus also touted a small business portal that Wisconsin companies can use to be first in line for contract bids related to the convention.
“We’ve made a commitment to doing everything we can to make sure the businesses are here and they stay here in the state of Wisconsin, wherever possible,” he said. “Whether it be a print shop, a flower shop, a subcontractor for some work that needs to be done, there’s going to be an enormous opportunity.”
Watch a video of the meeting here: https://wiseye.org/2023/10/10/rotary-club-of-milwaukee-reince-priebus/
See the committee’s site for vendors here: https://mke2024host.org/vendors/
— The UW System is rebranding itself as the “Universities of Wisconsin,” UW System President Jay Rothman announced.
“The Universities of Wisconsin is the best way to describe our thirteen excellent universities,” Rothman said yesterday. “This new name rightfully shifts the focus from the System to the Universities that are providing opportunities to the students and families we serve.”
Rothman said the University of Wisconsin System will remain the legal name. The university will start changing the branding on its websites, letterhead and other materials to reflect the change, which is expected to be finalized early next year.
Rothman in a statement to WisPolitics said UW spent approximately $55,000 on outside support to create the new logo and complete other creative work associated with the rebrand. The overall effort cost approximately $480,000 — including research, assessment, brand presentations, strategic counsel, creative and other work.
See an announcement video featuring former UW System President and former GOP Gov. Tommy Thompson: https://youtu.be/yP45sAKN71k?si=torjTQhsI81HMMt8
See the new logo:
— State Superintendent Jill Underly is touting state public school test scores while saying she’s “tired of politicians claiming that our children aren’t learning because they aren’t reaching a proficiency score.”
The Department of Public Instruction data show public school scores have improved since the COVID-19 pandemic, though overall scores have yet to reach pre-pandemic levels. The data also show continued racial disparities in math and reading scores, particularly for Black, American Indian and Hispanic students.
Underly argued the state holds its students to much higher standards than other states.
“Instead of using test scores as a cudgel, we should all take the time to learn what a high bar proficiency on this test represents, because the truth is that our proficiency cut scores are very high in comparison to every other state in the country,” Underly said yesterday.
Overall, 38.9% of public school students had proficient scores in English language arts, while 37.4% had proficient scores in math.
See more at WisPolitics: https://www.wispolitics.com/2023/tue-pm-update-prosser-advises-vos-against-impeaching-liberal-justice-protasiewicz/
— Froedtert Health and other groups have launched a new clinical laboratory partnership called Atalan.
The Milwaukee-based health system yesterday made the announcement alongside Wisconsin Diagnostic Laboratories and HealthEco, a Denver-based health investment and advisory firm. The partnership aims to boost access to laboratory testing services, improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing costs for participants in the lab network.
Robin Herbner, chief administrative officer at Wisconsin Diagnostic Laboratories, says Atalan “allows any provider, anywhere, to access high quality diagnostics” without needing to buy expensive equipment or hire pathologists.
“For health systems, this means creating profit instead of losing dollars by referring a patient’s test elsewhere,” he said yesterday in a statement. “Ultimately, Atalan helps to improve the bottom line for health institutions.”
Atalan was formed as a portfolio company of HealthEco, headquartered in Milwaukee with offices in Denver and New Orleans.
See the release: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/froedtert-health-wisconsin-diagnostic-laboratories-and-healtheco-launch-atalan/
See more: https://atalan.com/
<br><b><i>Top headlines from the Health Care Report…</b></i>
— State health officials are urging health care providers to screen pregnant patients for syphilis as the STI spreads in Wisconsin.
<i>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.</i>
Sign up here: http://forms.gle/o8FtqTLviGJPja8C9
#TOP STORIES#
# State tests trending up but less than 40 percent of Wisconsin students are proficient in reading, math
# Green Bay gets $6 million in grants for Shipyard Area site contamination, public amenities
# Milwaukee Common Council votes to expand city oversight of housing authority
#TOPICS#
# AGRIBUSINESS
– Empowering Women in Agriculture 2023 conference
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=912&yr=2023
– Wisconsin dairy processor tour to showcase innovation
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=911&yr=2023
# EDUCATION
– Report: Wisconsin Public Schools have lost 32K students since 2019
– UWRF and WinField United partnership recognized with UW System award
# ENVIRONMENT
– Milwaukee to use $12M federal grant to plant more trees throughout city
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=909&yr=2023
– Milwaukee suburb begins pulling millions of gallons per day from Lake Michigan
# HEALTH CARE
– Syphilis cases spike in Wisconsin newborns, leading to calls for testing during pregnancy
# LEGAL
– Liberals on Wisconsin Supreme Court side with tenant advocates seeking to scrub some eviction records
– Wausau defamation case linked to broad threats to press freedoms
– Union Grove files suit to challenge $1 million in flood-control costs on the Root River
# SMALL BUSINESS
– Pure Crispy Crepes offers a bouquet of tasty Thai treats
# TOURISM
– The Grand Meridian in Appleton is closing. Here’s a look at its 18 years in business: The Buzz
# TRANSPORTATION
– MMSD, First Student seek ‘creative solutions’ as bus problems continue
# PRESS RELEASES
<i>See these and other press releases:
https://www.wisbusiness.com/press-releases/ </i>
McMahon: Welcome Brooklyn Brickham, Mike McClone and Debra Epp
