COVID-19 Update

Dear Neighbor,

In order to support your families being able to take a deep breath, turn away from constant news updates, and create a new temporary normal, my office will continue sending a near-daily update on the COVID-19 public health emergency and posting to our website and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

It is my hope that one reliable update each day will allow you to take a deep breath, oversee all that is happening in your own life and home, and have a reliable source of news you can count on to be up to date and accurate. As always, previous updates are on our website and linked beneath the graphic below. 

My greatest concerns right now are your lives and livelihoods. We are working hard to keep you and your loved ones safe, and to fight for our small businesses in an unprecedented crisis. 

In solidarity,

Rep. Robyn Vining

 Past email updates can be found HERE

Governor Evers Announces Assistance for Restaurants Impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic

Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) announced today that restaurants and other targeted small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will receive $45 million in assistance, bringing the total assistance distributed to Wisconsin businesses this year to more than $220 million. This will be funded through the federal CARES Act dollars allocated to the state. 

The "We're All In for Restaurants" program will be administered by the Department of Revenue (DOR) in collaboration with WEDC. Unlike previous We’re All In grants, businesses will not have to apply for the grants, but will be identified and contacted directly by the DOR based on the businesses’ state tax records.

DOR estimates that restaurants will account for around 95% of the approximately 2,000 businesses to receive the funds. The program will target businesses with annual revenues of more than $1 million and less than $7 million. Previous state grant programs have focused on businesses with annual revenues of less than $1 million.

Read the full announcement HERE. 

 Governor Evers Announces Grant Recipients for Lodging Industry & Music/Entertainment Venues

Governor Evers announced today that COVID-19 Lodging Grants have been awarded to 663 Wisconsin lodging operators. The grants aim to provide stabilization to our state’s lodging industry as it continues to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and related reductions in travel across the nation. Grantees were awarded an average of approximately $350 per eligible room in Wisconsin. Read the full announcement HERE.

Governor Evers also announced today that $15 million in COVID-19 Live Music and Entertainment Venue Grants has been awarded to 96 live venues. The grants aim to provide financial stabilization to Wisconsin’s live entertainment and large meeting venues, which were among the first small businesses to feel dramatic negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full announcement HERE. 

 Extended Benefits through Unemployment Assistance Now Available

The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced yesterday that Wisconsin residents who have exhausted their regular unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) may now apply for Extended Benefits (EB).

EB provides up to 13 additional weeks of payments to individuals who have exhausted 26 weeks of regular UI benefits and 13 weeks of PEUC. The EB program does not apply to individuals collecting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA).

EB Benefits:

• Payment amount is equivalent to the individual's regular UI benefit amount.
• Duration is up to 13 weeks.
• The first payable week is retroactive to the week ending May 23, 2020 or the first week after an individual has exhausted his or her regular UI and PEUC, whichever is later.
• The last payable week will be the week ending November 7, 2020.

Applying for EB:

• Individuals who have exhausted regular UI and PEUC will have a link in the "Important Message" section on their claimant portal dashboard to file for EB.
• Individuals who exhausted regular UI and PEUC and are no longer filing will be notified of potential eligibility by mail.
• Individuals with remaining balances of regular UI or PEUC will continue to draw those benefit payments until exhausted. Individuals filing will be provided messaging in their claimant portal prior to exhausting benefits and will be able to submit a new initial application to continue their benefit payment under EB.

This announcement is available HERE. For more information about Extended Benefits, read HERE. 

 Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment until
December 15th

The annual Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period through the federal marketplace (HealthCare.gov) is underway and continues through December 15. 

More than 57,000 Wisconsinites have already signed up for coverage through the first three weeks of open enrollment. The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) recommends Wisconsinites visit www.WisCovered.com to find free, expert help to see if you qualify.

Rep. Robyn Vining

Contact Us: 

State Capitol
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708 

PH: (608) 266-9180
TF: (888) 534-0014

Email: Rep.Vining@legis.wi.gov 
Web: www.vining.assembly.wi.gov 

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