In August, as the United States Armed Forces completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan, about 13,000 evacuated Afghan residents were sent to Fort McCoy near Tomah and Sparta in Wisconsin. In total, 55,000 to 65,000 people evacuated from Afghanistan are in the U.S. or waiting to come here from military bases abroad. They are being resettled […]
About 400 Afghan Refugees Will Be Resettled Across Six Wisconsin Cities
Date Fri, Oct. 22, 2021 - 8:35am By Hamilton
Manitowoc Manufacturer Wins Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin Contest
Date Fri, Oct. 22, 2021 - 8:29am By Hamilton
Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC), the state’s chamber of commerce and largest business trade association, has announced the 2021 winner of its sixth annual Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin competition. The results of the contest were announced on October 14 during WMC’s annual Business Day conference. This year, the winning product was the 140 Ton […]
DWD Announces $16.5 Million Contract for UI System Upgrades
Date Thu, Oct. 7, 2021 - 9:32pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has signed a contract for hardware and software updates to the state’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) system. DWD announced on September 29 that it will pay Flexion, a technology firm based in Madison, about $16.5 million over four years to perform phased software upgrades and other enhancements. The cost […]
Employer Issues Update: Federal Unemployment Benefits Have Ended; Class Action Lawsuit Filed by Disabled Residents
Date Thu, Sep. 9, 2021 - 3:28pm By Hamilton
Effective September 6, several federal programs providing new or additional unemployment insurance (UI) benefits have ended. Notably, the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program provided recipients of UI benefits with $300 per week in addition to the state benefits they were eligible for. The supplemental benefit was created in 2020 as part of the first […]
Legislative Update: Special Session and Veto Override Attempt End Without Changes
Date Fri, Aug. 13, 2021 - 11:15am By Hamilton
On July 27, the Wisconsin Assembly met in extraordinary session to vote on a veto override of Assembly Bill 336. The bill would have ended Wisconsin’s participation in federal programs to provide or supplement unemployment benefits. It also would have prohibited the state from waiving the work search requirements for unemployment benefits for any reason […]
After State Budget, Governor Signs 15 Bills Into Law
Date Fri, Jul. 16, 2021 - 12:05pm By Hamilton
Since signing the 2021-2023 state budget into law on July 8, Governor Tony Evers (D) has signed 15 other bills, including the following notable acts: Assembly Bill (AB) 406: Requires the lowest schedule of unemployment insurance contribution rates to remain in effect through the end of calendar year 2023, regardless of the cash balance of […]
Governor Vetoes Personal Property Tax Repeal, “Mill Bill,” and Legislative HR Office
Date Fri, Jul. 16, 2021 - 11:50am By Hamilton
On July 8, the same day he signed the 2021-2023 state budget into law, Governor Tony Evers (D) vetoed four bills sent to him by the Legislature: Assembly Bill 191: Exempts all remaining business and manufacturing personal property from personal property tax assessments, effective January 1, 2022. Veto message Assembly Bill 367: Requires the governor […]
Republican Lawmakers Seek to End Federal Unemployment Supplements; Governor Likely to Veto
Date Fri, Jun. 4, 2021 - 1:38pm By Hamilton
A group of Republican state legislators are working on legislation to end Wisconsin’s participation in several federal programs that provide new or additional unemployment benefits, including the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program. The FPUC program provides recipients of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits with an additional $300 per week on top of the regular state […]
Legislature Reinstates Work Search Requirement for Those Receiving Unemployment Benefits
Date Fri, May. 21, 2021 - 9:51am By Hamilton
A legislative committee has voted to end a temporary rule that suspended the work search requirement for people receiving unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. By a 6-4, party line vote on May 19, the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR) ended the emergency rule promulgated by the Department of Workforce Development (DWD). Without committee […]
State Reconfigures Its Contract with Foxconn
Date Fri, Apr. 23, 2021 - 9:30am By Hamilton
On Monday, April 19, Governor Tony Evers announced that the state of Wisconsin had negotiated a new economic development contract with Taiwanese technology manufacturer Foxconn, which is currently building a large facility in Racine County. The following day, Gov. Evers announced that the board of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) voted unanimously to approve […]