News of the Day

On Monday, the Supreme Court struck down a 1992 federal law that prohibited all states except Nevada from allowing sports betting.

New Jersey led the lawsuit, with the support of 18 other states that want to use sports gambling for college and professional teams to bring in more tourism and tax revenue.

A representative with the Wisconsin Department of Administration said “sports gaming is prohibited by the Wisconsin Constitution, state law, and is not allowed under the state tribal compacts.”

“Between the constitution and the compacts that are in place already in the state of Wisconsin, it really won’t have a bearing one way or the other,” said Gov. Scott Walker.

he 6-3 ruling by the Supreme Court lets states decide if they want to make sports gambling legal, as well as in what capacity, such as online, in casinos or in sports bars.

For Wisconsin to allow sports gambling in casinos, tribes would need to renegotiate their compacts with the governor.

Net income and total lending grew by double digits at Wisconsin’s 128 state-chartered credit unions in the first quarter of 2018 compared to same quarter in 2017, according to data released  by the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI).

In the three months ending March 31, 2018:

· Net income totaled $103.4 million, up 26.0% from $82.1 million in 2017.

· Total loans were $28.0 billion, up 12.6% from $24.9 billion.

· Net worth was 11.20%, up from 10.89%.

· The delinquent loan ratio was 0.60%, down from 0.61%.

“State-chartered credit unions in the first quarter picked up where they left off at the end of 2017,” DFI Secretary Jay Risch said. “Their continued strong performance indicates they are providing their members with the right mix of products and services, which is helping to fuel Wisconsin’s already strong economy.”

Paul Ryan says he needs notice of a NAFTA deal by May 17 if the current Congress is going to be able to vote on it, suggesting talks are pushing up against the constraints of American trade law.

The House Speaker, in remarks delivered Wednesday in Washington, said U.S. Trade Promotion Authority regulations mean next week is a deadline for the Trump administration if it wants to pass a new North American Free Trade Agreement before a new Congress is sworn in.

The existing NAFTA remains on the books unless a country withdraws, which would require six months notice. No country has given that notice, though President Donald Trump has threatened to do so.

Ryan met Thursday with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland in Washington, and the two discussed U.S. trade law and the impending timelines. A NAFTA deal “will take as long as it takes,” she said. Freeland was twice asked Thursday by reporters whether Ryan mentioned a deadline of next week, and didn’t specifically answer.

“I think the rules are set out quite clearly in the TPA legislation, and it was certainly useful for me to hear directly from some of the people who actually wrote it how they see that process playing out,” she said. When pressed, Freeland added: “We discussed how the TPA legislation could come into play.”

What has more than five times as many words as the King James Bible, Harry Potter series, and the Lord of the Rings combined? The Wisconsin Administrative Code, which contains around 12 million words.

Red Tape Review is an initiative that started in 2015 in order to review and update all of Wisconsin’s Administrative Code. The administrative code encompasses all of the various rules implemented by state agencies to allow for the efficient running of the state and is comprised of 159,253 rules that have been put in place by agencies such as the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Justice. With the many different agencies implementing these rules, the regulations are very diverse; the code encompasses everything from deer hunting to voter registration.

It is essential that we continue to look at the rules to make sure that they stay current, and repeal or replace those that are no longer needed. Since we started the Red Tape Review, we have combed through 40% of the Administrative Code and eliminated and repealed rules that were outdated or burdened Wisconsin citizens and businesses. So far, 769 of 1,736 chapters have been reviewed.

In order to streamline the process of repealing unauthorized rules, I authored 2017 Wisconsin Act 108, which helps establish a way for state agencies to review their regulations on a regular basis, as well as organize a system to examine the impact of new acts.

Foxconn Technology Group and M+WǀGilbane on Monday announced 26 additional subcontractors selected for site preparation work at the company’s planned LCD manufacturing campus in Mount Pleasant.

Officials also previously announced Black River Falls-based Hoffman Construction Co. was selected for mass excavation, storm water management and erosion control and Milwaukee-based Gestra Engineering was chosen for soil testing work. Monday’s announcement brings the total number of named subcontractors for the project to 28.

All but one of the firms is based in Wisconsin and seven qualify as minority-, woman- or veteran-owned, Foxconn said. The company has set a target of having 60 percent of the work performed by Wisconsin companies and 10 percent by firms owned by minorities, women or veterans.

“We are proud to continue to deliver on our ‘Wisconsin First’ commitment through our partnership with companies across the state,” said Louis Woo, special assistant to Foxconn Founder and CEO Terry Gou. “As we actively move forward with construction of this project, we look forward to partnering with additional Wisconsin companies.”

Gov. Scott Walker is making stops around the state Monday to tout the announcement of the subcontractors. He has stops planned in Black River Falls, Brownsville and Racine.

Foxconn and M+WǀGilbane say the businesses selected as subcontractors will draw their direct and indirect workforce from 60 of the state’s 72 counties.

“We are pleased to be bringing together some of the best and the brightest from all over the state to work on a project that will help transform the Wisconsin economy,” said Adam Jelen, Gilbane senior vice president.

The subcontractors include:

• A.W. Oakes and Sons, Racine (aggregate and earthwork)
• Case International, Mt. Pleasant (equipment rental)
• County Materials Corp., Marathon (material manufacturer)
• Environmental Control Inc., Franksville (erosion control)
• Fabick CAT Racine Rents, Sturtevant (equipment rental)
• George Schroeder Trucking, Burlington (trucking)
• Gestra Engineering, Milwaukee (soils testing work)
• Heider & Bott Company, Milwaukee (material supplier)
• Hoffman Construction Co., Black River Falls (mass excavation, storm water management, erosion control)
• Hribar Corp., Sturtevant (equipment rental)
• Johnson Sand and Gravel, New Berlin (aggregate)
• Kapur Associates, Burlington (surveying)
• Lannon Stone, Sussex (aggregate)
• Metro Security, Racine (site security)
• Michels Corporation, Brownsville (aggregate and underdrain)
• MJM Truckin LLC, Nekoosa (trucking)
• Neenah Foundry Company, Neenah (material manufacturer)
• Northway Fence, Menomonee Falls (site fence)
• Otter Sales and Service, Burlington (equipment rental)
• Pac-Van, Sturtevant (support trailers)
• Panacea Group, LLC, Seymour (trucking)
• Payne & Dolan, Waukesha (asphalt paving)
• Quick Fuel Fleet Services, Milwaukee (fuel)
• R A Seaton Contractor Services LLC, Rockford, Illinois (trucking)
• Super Aggregates, Waterford (aggregate)
• Terracon, Franklin (soils testing work)
• Tremmel-Anderson Trucking LLC, Sussex (trucking)
• Vizcaino’s Trucking LLC, Oconomowoc (trucking)

Governor Scott Walker joins Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett in traveling throughout the state to highlight Wisconsin’s tourism economy, which reached $20.6 billion in 2017. This marks a $631 million boost from $20 billion in 2016.

“Wisconsin’s travel and hospitality industry is booming,” said Governor Walker. “Our tourism industry continues to be crucial to our state and is consistently a top performing sector of our economy. Investing in tourism promotion and marketing at the national, state, and local level is not only an effective way to attract visitors and grow the economy, it also enhances the image of Wisconsin as a great place to live, work, and do business.”

The tourism industry continues to show stable, long-term growth according to Tourism Economics’ recently-released economic impact figures. Last year’s visitor volumes topped 110 million visits, an increase of 17.5 million, compared to 92.5 million in 2011. Tourism supported a total of 195,255 jobs in 2017, up from 172,000 in 2011, a 13.5% increase.

“For seven years in a row, Wisconsin’s tourism industry has had a positive impact on the economy and job growth,” said Secretary Klett. “Research shows us that the increased investment in marketing the brand of fun positively influences the way people think about Wisconsin as a top to place to vacation, work, live, attend college, and own a second home.”

Key Results

• The total seven-year growth of tourism activity in the state is $5.8 billion, a nearly 40 percent increase according to Tourism Economics, the research firm for the Department of Tourism.
• Visitor volumes topped 110 million visits, an increase of 17.5 million, compared to 92.5 million seven years ago. This is a 19 percent increase since 2011.
• Traveler spending on recreation, which includes all activities travelers choose to do on vacation, had the fastest growth at 5.5 percent in 2017.
• Tourism directly and indirectly supported 195,255 jobs in Wisconsin’s labor market in 2016.
• Visitors generated $1.5 billion in state and local revenue and $1.2 billion in federal taxes, saving Wisconsin taxpayers $660 per household.

Yesterday, Governor signed Executive Order #288 today, implementing recommendations
from the Governor’s Commission on Government Reform, Efficiency, and Performance. Through this order, Governor Walker is implementing measures that will make government more efficient and responsible to hardworking Wisconsin taxpayers.

“At the end of the day, our government is accountable to Wisconsin’s hardworking taxpayers,” said Governor Walker. “It’s our responsibility to ensure that we are continually improving the way we do business in order to maximize the effectiveness of government services and deliver them to taxpayers at the lowest cost possible.”

Executive Order #288 directs the Department of Administration and multiple state agencies to adopt several recommendations in accordance with the Governor’s Commission on Government Reform, Efficiency, and Performance:

The Department of Administration will combine the Office of Lean Government with the Division of Executive Budget and Finance and any other administrative units as determined by the Secretary of the Department of Administration.

• State agencies will work with the Department of Administration, Division of Enterprise Operations, to identify procurement savings opportunities, reduce purchased services and contracts, and make state vehicle purchasing, maintenance, and operating policies more cost-effective.
• State agencies will submit a plan to the Department of Administration, State Controller’s Office, outlining strategies to minimize paper-based finance operations, with the goal of eliminating paper-based payments and maximizing the use of electronic exchange.
• State agencies will review their current practices and enter into debt collection agreements where necessary with the Department of Revenue to perform collections on agency debts outstanding longer than 90 days unless an exemption is granted by the Secretary of the Department of Revenue pursuant to current law.

Wisconsin ranked 10th in the nation for the safety of its hospitals, with 42 percent of the state’s hospitals receiving “A” grades for their prevention of medical errors, according to a new report.

The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization focused on health care quality and safety, gives out grades to hospitals twice a year for how well they prevent errors, accidents, injuries and infections.

Of the approximately 2,500 hospitals graded nationally, 30 percent earned an “A,” 28 percent earned a “B,” 35 percent a “C,” six percent a “D” and one percent an “F.”

Hawaii was first in the U.S. for its hospital safety, followed by Idaho (2); Rhode Island (3); Massachusetts (4); Virginia (5); Colorado (6); Maine (7); Ohio (8); and North Carolina (9).

Leapfrog uses performance measures from its own hospital survey, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Hospital Association’s Annual Survey and Health Information Technology Supplement to compile its rankings.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday limited areas of Wisconsin that will face tougher smog regulations.

The agency sided with Wisconsin officials by sharply narrowing areas that will come under stricter federal ozone regulations to small strips of land along the shoreline of Lake Michigan.

Businesses and Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s administration argued that metropolitan Milwaukee and areas along Lake Michigan were being polluted by smog from Illinois and northern Indiana.

The EPA was under a court-ordered deadline of Monday to decide which counties across the country were in violation of the new standard and would need to reduce pollutants that form ozone. Those pollutants come from sources such as factories, power plants and emissions from cars and trucks.

Ozone is created when heat and light interact with nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.

In a tweet Tuesday, Walker said that Wisconsin already has cut emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds by 50 percent since 2002.

“We are working with the EPA to implement a plan that continues to look out for the best interest of Wisconsin,” Walker tweeted. “We continue to search for ways to balance between environmental stewardship and a positive, pro-jobs business environment.”

In December, the agency had made an initial determination that a much larger area of southeastern Wisconsin was in violation of ozone standards. Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources pushed back against that initial determination. Officials asked that the entire state be declared in compliance or, failing that, urged the EPA to designate narrow strips of land near Lake Michigan.

“We are pleased that EPA did take into account the science and data the DNR provided showing that ozone concentrations … are limited to a narrow strip of land near the Lake Michigan lake shore,” DNR spokesman Jim Dick said in a statement.