Busy Weeks Ahead

Testifying on Assembly Bill 890 with Sen. Dan Feyen

The 2021-2022 legislative session is quickly nearing its end, as demonstrated by the sheer number of committee hearings and votes in preparation for the February floor period.  I serve on six committees, and five of them are meeting next Tuesday, February 8, alone!

Earlier this week, I spoke on behalf of Assembly Bill 890 and its companion, Senate Bill 830, at the Assembly ways and means and Senate housing committees, respectively.  These proposals make several changes to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, including a set-aside for rural projects. LIHTC encourages affordable housing, which is desperately needed around the state and especially in rural communities that need to maintain and expand their workforce in order to thrive.

Next Tuesday, in addition to attending the five committee meetings, I will be testifying before them on two bills:  Assembly Bill 938 in the workforce development committee, and Assembly Bill 940 in the small business development committee. 

AB 938 makes several commonsense reforms to the unemployment insurance program in order to improve efficiency and integrity so that it can better serve Wisconsin residents who are unemployed through no fault of their own as they actively search for new employment. 

AB 940 requires the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to submit a report to the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee about WEDC's spending plan for the talent attraction and retention efforts.  (The 2021-2023 state budget required WEDC to spend at least $3 million on this important endeavor, but WEDC has been slow to act, despite the ongoing workforce crunch.)

The Assembly is likely to be in session the weeks of February 14 and February 21.