TUE AM News: WFBF seeking more flexibility in migrant worker programs, board member says; WEDC formally requests $10M in tourism funding be released

May 21, 2024

— The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation wants more flexibility in the federal immigration program for seasonal agricultural workers, according to board member and farmer Dave Daniels.

During a WisconsinEye interview published yesterday, Daniels said farmers in the state “harvest every day of the year, not necessarily just nine months out of the year.” He argued the current federal H-2A visa program is too limited, noting the WFBF is engaged with lobbying members of congress on this issue.

When asked if the immigration system is broken, he said: “I think it can be fixed, let’s put it that way. It needs to have an upgrade … some of the rules that are in place, they’re not flexible enough, especially for the dairy industry.”

Daniels’ own farm in Kenosha County has around 575 cows and relies on some immigrant labor from Mexico and central America. He explained the workers that come north to work there already have family members in southeastern Wisconsin, which means they have access to a local community support network and financial support.

“We’re also giving them opportunities by training them on how to do their work better, and everything else, so we feel they’re very important to us and we want to make sure we have a good way of helping them out, not only in their job but in the community and society,” he said.

The discussion referenced a Propublica article from last year that estimated about 6,200 immigrants work in Wisconsin’s dairy industry, though the exact figure is difficult to pin down.

“The immigrant labor has an important role, not only in the dairy industry but in the food sector and food security for not only Wisconsin but our nation too,” he said.

Still, he pushed back on the notion that Wisconsin’s dairy industry would “collapse” without immigrant labor, arguing that’s an exaggeration. The interview touched on former President Donald Trump’s threats of “mass deportations” of undocumented immigrants if re-elected in the coming presidential election, but Daniels seemed to cast doubt on if that’s doable.

“It would be quite the feat to try and do that deportation, but obviously we’ve tried to look at some of those issues and how we could work around that to a certain extent … I hope it doesn’t have to happen,” he said.

Watch the video.

— The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. has formally asked the Joint Finance Committee to release $10 million to help with efforts to land major events to the state.

The Opportunity Attraction and Promotion Fund was created under legislation Dem Gov. Tony Evers signed in March directing WEDC to create and administer the program. It calls for applicants to spend any grant money on their efforts to land events that are open to the public.

The 2023-25 state budget put the money into the Joint Finance Committee’s supplemental appropriation, and WEDC wants it now to begin accepting applications and making awards.

The request comes against the backdrop of Evers highlighting National Travel and Tourism Week, as well as the guv’s ongoing feud with GOP lawmakers over releasing money to his administration that had been set aside in the budget for various projects. That issue is now before the courts.

In a statement on the request, Evers notes Wisconsin tourism has a $20 billion economic impact and supports more than 100,000 jobs per year.

“We want to continue growing our tourism industry and investing in one of our state’s largest economic engines by promoting Wisconsin as a major destination for some of our country’s largest events,” he said.

See the release.

— U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin has announced more than $8.6 million in funding to help Wisconsin communities revamp contaminated properties.

In a release yesterday, the Madison Dem said five communities in the state are getting cleanup funds from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through U.S. EPA grant and loan programs.

“These contaminated sites have sat vacant for years, deterring economic investments and leaving entire neighborhoods behind … Today’s announcement puts Wisconsin on the path to cleaning up these hazardous sites, keeping Wisconsinites healthy, bringing new life to these spaces, and growing our economy,” Baldwin said in a statement.

Recipients include:

*Milwaukee’s Redevelopment Authority, which is getting $3.5 million to fund more cleanup projects in underserved areas of the city through the City of Milwaukee Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund. This program has already provided loans or subgrants for 17 cleanup projects, according to Baldwin’s release.

*Manitowoc’s Community Development Authority, which is getting nearly $2 million to clean up a 2.3-acre site where aluminum manufacturing was conducted for decades. This activity led to the now vacant site to be contaminated with heavy metals and other potentially harmful materials.

*Price County United Limited, which is getting just under $1.7 million to clean up the former Lionite Mill site, a 26.2-acre plot that’s been polluted with various hazardous substances, and to conduct community engagement activities.

*West Allis, which is getting a $1 grant to extend its own brownfield revolving loan fund to support more projects in the city’s underserved areas. The fund has already supported five cleanup projects.

*Brillion, which is getting a $500,000 grant to clean up part of the Brillion Iron Works Redevelopment, a 6.3-acre site that has housed iron foundries, a rail yard, a cannery, an electrical substation and other operations over the years. The foundry closed in 2016,and the site is now contaminated with hazardous materials.

See more in the release.

— The Public Service Commission has announced $150,000 in grant funding from the Wisconsin Refueling Readiness Program.

This program aims to add more designated fueling stations for utility trucks and other emergency vehicles during power outages and other emergencies. Applicants can include municipal, county, and tribal community-owned highway shops and fueling stations, as well as privately owned petroleum bulk storage sites and fueling stations.

In the latest round of funding — the fourth provided through the program — the PSC selected 14 projects in 11 counties, including one municipal highway shop, six county highway shops, and seven petroleum storage facilities, the release shows.

Funding will go toward adding new transfer switch equipment to enable emergency vehicle refueling during outages, according to the agency.

“These grants will help ensure that utility workers and others involved in emergency management and response have the tools needed to restore power and public safety as quickly as possible,” PSC Chair Summer Strand said in a statement.

The agency has awarded more than $547,000 through this program since 2015, according to the release.

See the release and register for an upcoming WisPolitics event featuring remarks from Strand.

Top headlines from the Health Care Report…

— U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, pleaded with GOP activists at the party’s state convention to put aside their differences on issues such as abortion and unify to deliver Wisconsin for Donald Trump this fall.

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

Sign up here.

New Amtrak line connecting Milwaukee to Twin Cities starts Tuesday

Changes to Wisconsin’s Badger Fund of Funds program poised to help attract outside investment

TOPICS

AGRIBUSINESS

– Dairy experts at four-state dairy conference

CONSTRUCTION

– Milwaukee Mayor’s Design Awards honors 20 projects in 2024

EDUCATION

– Milwaukee Public Schools in danger of losing Head Start funding after deficiencies found

– New La Crosse program aims to save reusable household items from landfills

– St. Nobert College might start cutting tenured faculty. What to know