THU AM News: WEDC ‘watching very closely’ for federal funding cuts that could impact WI programs; WEDC board elects Pamela Boivin as chair

April 24, 2025

— WEDC is “watching very closely” for cuts to federal dollars that could impact Wisconsin programs, including the possible elimination of funding for the Wisconsin Center for Manufacturing & Productivity.

That’s according to Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Speaking during this week’s WEDC Board of Directors meeting, she referenced the “possible change” in funding for the WCMP, the state’s official Manufacturing Extension Partnership program.

Her remarks came after 10 MEP centers in other states were notified in early April that their funding would be cut on the same day they were due to be renewed, raising concerns about federal support for other centers in the national network.

While those centers have since gotten a six-month extension in their funding — through the end of September — advocates including WCMP leadership are making the case to federal lawmakers that funding should be maintained.

“Frankly, you know, I’ll be surprised if that is ultimately eliminated because it does support small and medium-sized manufacturers,” Hughes said during the meeting. “Certainly it seems to be a goal of the administration to return manufacturing to the United States and to strengthen manufacturing.”

Of the 51 MEP centers across the country, about a quarter get their federal funding renewed every quarter, according to WCMP Executive Director and CEO Buckley Brinkman. The next cohort up for renewal is set to do so at the start of July, while Wisconsin’s contract is set to expire at the end of December.

“We’re waiting to see what happens with the cohort that’s supposed to be renewed July 1st,” Brinkman said in an interview yesterday. “We think that’ll be the same sort of situation, and we just think it’s really necessary for all of our friends to make sure they’re talking to their congresspeople about the value of the MEP to the state’s manufacturing ecosystem.”

He said he’s optimistic about advocates’ ability to get the message across, noting the program’s 14-to-1 return on the dollars invested by the federal government. If the funding does end up getting cut, the WCMP would have to become “much leaner” with fewer offerings for companies. And it would be more difficult to reach remote parts of the state, while the services it offers to manufacturers would be more expensive, Brinkman said.

“So that’s the big concern, you know, when you lose that kind of federal support it’s going to force us to be a lot narrower,” he said.

When the funding cut for the 10 MEPs was first announced, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, joined a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick expressing major concerns about the move. She noted Wisconsin’s MEP network has helped create more than $2.5 billion in economic impact and created or retained nearly 4,000 jobs over the past two years.

Also during the WEDC board meeting, Hughes noted the recent funding cut for Wisconsin’s Minority Business Development Agency Business Center, which has been working to support diverse businesses statewide.

“The elimination of that is a real change, we’ve been partners and supported those activities for a number of years, so we’re trying to understand what impact that will have,” she said.

The Trump administration recently sent notice to every MBDA employee that their jobs are being cut, “effectively shuttering an agency that Congress has authorized,” lawmakers including Baldwin wrote to Lutnick. They’re demanding an explanation for the move.

“The Trump Administration owes the small business owners and entrepreneurs of Wisconsin some answers as to why he is ripping away this key resource that helps them create jobs, reach new customers, and grow our economy,” Baldwin said in a statement on the change.

Still, Hughes said she’s “super encouraged” that WEDC hasn’t seen any changes to the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program, which includes the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub. She noted the state’s tech hub has been a “real attraction tool” that’s helped the agency connect with businesses in Europe and elsewhere about the opportunities Wisconsin presents.

“I think for the most part we’re seeing that as a bipartisan effort holding steady,” she said.

Watch the video of the board meeting and see figures on the MEP network’s impact in Wisconsin.

— The WEDC Board of Directors has elected Pamela Boivin as chair, following her appointment to the board last year.

The agency’s board yesterday announced Boivin will succeed Hank Newell, who’s held the role since 2019. Boivin is a member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and is program manager at the Native CDFI Network, where she oversees Native Community Development Financial Institutions.

She also owns a small business called Boivin Excavating, the release shows.

“I’m honored to serve in this role and to support the dedicated team at WEDC, whose work drives meaningful impact across our state,” Boivin said in a statement.

— UW-Milwaukee researcher Qingsu Cheng is getting $200,000 to study why breast cancer cells “revive” after remission, the university announced.

Cheng, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering in UWM’s College of Engineering & Applied Science, aims to understand how some breast cancer cells “go dormant to hide from radiation” treatment before once again becoming active later. By entering a “sleeping” state and not growing or dividing, these cells can go undetected during treatment.

“We know some parts of the story, but not all of it,” Cheng said in a statement. “If we can stop cancer cells from going dormant in the first place, we might reduce the chance of the cancer coming back after successful treatment.”

The research project will focus on how these “hidden” cells are revived, the possible role of the circulatory system in this process, and the potential influence of low-dose radiation exposure over time, such as from medical scanning.

Ultimately, improving this understanding could lead to new treatment targets for breast cancer, according to Cheng, who plans to test therapies to prevent cancer cells from going under the radar.

The funding comes from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Shaw Scientist Award, established by the late James D. and Dorothy Shaw to support early-career scientists.

See the release.

— Dem lawmakers argued Republicans are out of step with most Americans on abortion as they began circulating legislation to codify abortion rights in state law and eliminate other barriers to the procedure.

Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, at a Capitol press conference yesterday said most Americans do not want abortion access to be restricted.

“People do not want a national abortion ban, they do not want medically unnecessary restrictions that harm people, and they are horrified to see the skyrocketing maternal mortality rates in states that have banned and restricted access to abortion,” Roys said. “Because the truth is, when you put political interference in between patients and their doctors, women die.”

Meanwhile, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, knocked the proposal as a publicity stunt.

“Whether I like it or not, abortion is legal in Wisconsin up to 20 weeks. This is a PR stunt by the Democrats to promote fear and division in Wisconsin,” Vos said in a statement to WisPolitics.

Roys and Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison, announced the legislation alongside Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin President Tanya Atkinson and health care workers.

The proposal would repeal an 1849 law that had been interpreted as a ban on abortion.

The law went into effect when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned abortion rights nationally in 2022, halting abortions in the state. Abortion providers have since resumed care after a Dane County judge in 2023 ruled the law bars feticide, not abortion. The case is now pending before the liberal-controlled state Supreme Court.

The bill would also eliminate requirements for women who seek abortions that opponents argued are designed to delay the procedures. That includes provisions in state law requiring an ultrasound to be performed at least 24 hours before an abortion, and requiring doctors who administer abortion-inducing drugs to perform a physical exam on the woman and be present in the room when the drug is taken.

See more at WisPolitics.

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