TUE AM News: GOP bill would create tax credit for sustainable aviation fuels; Former South Carolina guv to lead gener8tor advisory board

April 8, 2025

— Republican lawmakers are circulating a bill to create a tax credit for sustainably produced jet fuel, in hopes of opening up a new market for Wisconsin timber and farm products.

Rep. David Steffen, R-Howard, as well as Sens. Romaine Quinn of Birchwood and Patrick Testin of Stevens Point, recently sent a co-sponsorship memo to other lawmakers on the legislation.

“Wisconsin can lead the way in championing the production of this sustainable fuel, providing our farmers and timber producers with a long-term, reliable path in our everchanging global economy,” they wrote.

Under the bill, the state would create an income and franchise tax credit of $1.50 per gallon of “sustainable aviation fuel” or SAF produced in Wisconsin, starting in 2028. It’s defined in the bill as aviation fuel that’s at least 90% derived from synthetic, renewable and nonpetroleum sources.

SAF has similar properties to standard jet fuel, but has a smaller carbon footprint, according to an overview from the U.S. Department of Energy. Depending on how it’s made, the fuel can produce “dramatically” lower emissions, and the agency says some emerging pathways for production have a net-negative emissions footprint.

Bill authors note it’s made from renewable agricultural resources including “low value” energy crops. Potential feedstocks can include corn grain, oil seeds, forestry residues, wet wastes such as manure and even algae. DOE says using wet wastes has the added benefit of reducing pollution on watersheds while also reducing greenhouse gases.

SAF could provide a boost to Wisconsin’s growing $4.2 billion biofuels industry, which employs more than 19,000 people, the lawmakers wrote in the memo.

“While there is currently no production of SAF occurring in Wisconsin, our state is in a prime position to become a hub for SAF production, both geographically, and because of our strong agricultural outputs,” they wrote.

The co-sponsorship deadline is April 16 at 5 p.m.

See the memo.

— Former South Carolina Governor David Beasley will chair gener8tor’s newly formed advisory board, the startup accelerator recently announced.

Beasley was also the former executive director of the UN World Food Programme from 2017 to 2023, overseeing more than $55 billion in fundraising for the global aid program. He was governor of South Carolina from 1995 to 1999.

In a statement on the new role, Beasley said he wants to help gener8tor expand its reach, especially in regions where entrepreneurship “can serve as a catalyst” for stability and prosperity. The program currently has accelerator programs or venture funds in 49 markets, 26 states and five countries.

“Innovation and entrepreneurship are key to creating sustainable economic opportunities, and gener8tor has built a world-class platform that empowers visionaries to transform industries and change lives,” he said.

Joe Kirgues, co-founder of gener8tor, says “we could not be more excited” to have Beasley lead its first advisory board. He touts his leadership and expertise in economic and humanitarian development.

“With his guidance, we aim to break down barriers for innovators globally and accelerate the next generation of world-changing ventures,” Kirgues.

See the release.

— A recent study from the UW School of Medicine and Public Health found an AI screening tool for opioid addiction led to cost savings and fewer readmissions.

The study, recently published in the journal Nature Medicine, was led by Dr. Majid Afshar, associate professor of medicine at the UW SMPH in Madison. He says AI “holds promise” in medical settings, but many AI-based screening models have yet to be integrated into actual care.

“Our study represents one of the first demonstrations of an AI screening tool embedded into addiction medicine and hospital workflows, highlighting the pragmatism and real-world promise of this approach,” he said in a statement.

The trial involved screening about 52,000 adult hospitalizations, without about two-thirds happening before the AI tool was deployed and the other third happening after the tool was used across the hospital.

Researchers found patients that received consultations after being flagged for addiction medicine referrals by the AI system were 47% less likely to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. Over the study period, this resulted in about $109,000 in estimated health care savings, according to a release.

The net cost savings per patient was calculated at about $6,800 for the patient, health insurer and hospital, UW says. That’s after the cost of the AI software itself was taken into account.

The study also showed 1.51% of hospitalized adults received an addiction medicine consultation when the AI screening tool was used, comapred to 1.35% without the tool. A total of 727 consultations happened during the study period.

Afshar says the study “lays the groundwork” for broader adoption of AI screening tools for addiction embedded in the health care record.

Still, UW notes the study also raised the concern of possible “alert fatigue” among providers, as well as needing to test it across different health care systems for further validation.

See more in the release.

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.

— U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson says he remains concerned about the impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs, calling it a “bold and risky” move.

The Oshkosh Republican discussed the topic on WISN 12’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics.

“It’s interesting, as I talked to people in Wisconsin, manufacturers, farmers who could be impacted by this, they also realize it’s a double-edged sword, and they understand what President Trump is trying to accomplish and agree with the goals at least. So, it’s a very complex issue right now. All I can do is kind of sit by and listen to the constituents, make sure that Howard Lutnick and the president and his administration are well aware of any kind of retaliation or any kind of pain this is causing or how it might make Wisconsin manufacturers less competitive globally.

“I remain, as the stock market is, concerned,” Johnson said. “I think President Trump is well aware of the fact that there’s going to be some pain. I don’t know what his pain tolerance is.”

— Also on “UpFront,” Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich says the city is ready and prepared to host the NFL Draft later this month, including the major security operation it entails.

“It’s a significant undertaking for us,” Genrich said, adding the city is working with Homeland Security officials. “They came to town. They work with our public safety folks to do what’s called a tabletop exercise. In the room, we probably had 50 people associated with the event, from our police and fire to county folks, village public safety, people from Wisconsin Public Service, our utility transmission line company, just everybody who could be involved in some kind of disaster and walk through a number of different events that could occur.”

The state has allocated several million dollars to help with costs associated with hosting the draft. The statewide economic impact is projected at $96 million and roughly $20 million in the Green Bay area.

“It’s a great opportunity for us as a community, for our businesses and organizations,” Genrich said. “Beyond that, which isn’t really captured by some of those numbers, is the global stage essentially that we’re on, the opportunity to have millions of eyeballs on the city of Green Bay and the state of Wisconsin.”

See more from the show and see coverage of a recent pitch competition linked to the NFL Draft.

Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce says Trump tariffs will challenge state businesses

Trade war a ‘catastrophic’ scenario for footwear industry, Weyco leader says

TOPICS

AGRIBUSINESS

– Federal layoffs affect state resources for bird flu, other animal health concerns

ECONOMY

– What Madison-area population growth means for housing prices

FINANCIAL SERVICES

– ‘Stick to the plan,’ says Northwestern Mutual CIO as tariffs slam stock market

HEALTH CARE

– Brookfield medical office building sold for $9 million