Contact: Tom Evenson, (608) 266-2839
MADISON – Governor Scott Walker highlighted his Small Business Agenda today at the Green Bay Chamber of Commerce. The Small Business Agenda, which was announced at yesterday’s seventh annual Governor’s Small Business Summit, lays out a four-step plan to support and strengthen Wisconsin’s small businesses.
“Our small businesses are a key component in moving Wisconsin’s economy forward,” said Governor Walker. “With our new Small Business Agenda, we’re ensuring Wisconsin maintains the strong and welcoming business climate we’re known for and our small businesses have the tools they need to succeed.”
Governor Walker’s Small Business Agenda
Step One: Reduce business costs
-Lower property taxes
We eliminated the state property tax and reduced the personal property tax.
-Stop unemployment fraud We need to increase penalties for people who knowingly make false statements to obtain unemployment insurance benefits.
-Streamline regulations
State governments should sunset all regulations every seven years and a standing committee should review each regulation so that elected representatives have the final say, not bureaucrats.
-Reduce frivolous lawsuits
Wisconsin should continue to enact lawsuit reforms to protect small businesses.
Step Two: Prepare the workforce
-Invest in K-12 education
Our budget invests a historic $11.5 billion into K-12 education to drive student success and help build a strong workforce.
-Increase worker training Our budget increases Wisconsin Fast Forward grants to help employers with customized worker training programs.
-Expand opportunities in our technical colleges
Our budget makes a significant investment in our tech colleges to create a highly skilled, dependable workforce.
Strengthen ties between the UW System and the workforce
Our budget includes more financial support for the UW system to produce more graduates for high demand areas.
Step Three: Remove barriers to work
-End public assistance benefits cliffs
We eliminated the so-called “benefits cliff” for child care to encourage more people to work, take more hours, and advance into higher wage jobs.
-Require able-bodied adults to work or receive employability training
We are expanding public assistance requirements to include at least 80 hours per month of work or employability training to help individuals move from Government dependence to true independence.
-Require able-bodied adults to pass a drug test before receiving public assistance
We are expanding the areas where we require a drug test to get public assistance. Those who fail the test are offered rehabilitation so we can get them healthy and into the workforce.
-Target specific populations to enter the workforce
We are investing in training and accommodations for veterans, people with disabilities, and ex-offenders to get them back to work.
Step Four: Attract new talent
-Market workforce opportunities within Wisconsin
We need more workers in the state to fill our workforce needs – now and in the future. Part of our plan includes direct marketing to attract talent from outside of Wisconsin to live and work in our state.
