Visit WisPolitics-State Affairs for premium content,
keyword notifications, bill tracking and more
Wisconsin’s competitive edge in biotech is being threatened by “national headwinds” for the industry, according to a startup specialist at WEDC. Shayna Hetzel, vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., spoke yesterday during a meeting
QTS Data Centers has announced a new research effort with UW-Madison, putting $1.5 million toward improving data center sustainability. The global digital infrastructure business and the university on Friday announced the Advancing Data Center Sustainability research initiative, which involves the
A panel discussion around AI highlighted differing views on the technology’s potential for workforce disruption in Wisconsin, with some in state government more optimistic than others. Yesterday’s WisBusiness-WisPolitics-State Affairs luncheon event was held in UW-Milwaukee’s Connected Systems Institute, which helps
Wauwatosa startup RoddyMedical plans to roll out its medical line management device at Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus in the near future. Founder and CEO Lindsey Roddy shared an update on the business during the Wisconsin Technology Council’s recent Early Stage
The Wisconsin Grocers Association has confirmed grocers across the state are accepting FoodShare after state agencies called on retailers to keep taking the benefits amid legal turmoil over the program. The departments of Health Services and Agriculture, Trade and Consumer
Republican lawmakers are circulating a bill to create an income tax credit that would help offset the costs of in vitro fertilization in Wisconsin. Sen. Howard Marklein of Spring Green and Rep. Jessie Rodriguez of Oak Creek last week sent
Maggie Brickerman, the new president of the Wisconsin Technology Council, has laid out her vision for the organization’s future, which includes driving more investment deals in the state. Speaking yesterday at the group’s Early Stage Symposium in Madison during her
Milwaukee’s local labor market is showing signs of “beginning to cool down,” an economist with Marquette University says. Nicholas Jolly, an associate professor of economics at the Milwaukee university, co-authored a report released yesterday detailing economic trends for the region
Legislation being circulated by Dem lawmakers would create a $5 million annual tax credit program for early-career farmers, helping to offset the cost of acquiring land and other farming assets. Sen. Mark Spreitzer of Beloit and Rep. Jenna Jacobson of
GOP lawmakers are seeking to create a new tax break for nuclear fusion projects in Wisconsin, with a goal of making the state an “epicenter” for the technology’s development. Sen. Dan Feyen of Fond du Lac, as well as Reps.
Madison-based Realta Fusion could build its first energy-producing fusion plant within 10 years, though the path ahead has some challenges. Robb Hughes, head of external affairs for the UW-Madison nuclear energy spinoff company, discussed this timeline during this week’s Wisconsin
An expert says executive pressure to deploy AI is a problem for industry as the technology is increasingly seen as essential for competitiveness. Sahab Aslam, founder of Vectorify Labs and the AI sector lead at the Harvard Business School Alumni
Medical experts argue a Republican-authored medical marijuana bill lacks safeguards while advocates say it would provide relief. Senate President Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Tomahawk, during a Senate Health Committee public hearing pointed to Hawaii’s decision in 2000 to become one of
Tariffs and rising input costs for farmers are pushing Wisconsin’s ag industry to find new trade partners and new ways to use crops, farmers say. China this year placed no orders for soybeans from the U.S. amid the Trump administration’s
Innovation-inspiring funding for decades of research and patents in Wisconsin would be rolled back if the federal government skimmed profits from patents developed by federally funded universities, experts say. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick last month in an interview with The
Wisconsin has become a hotbed of data center activity over the past few years as some of the biggest names in the business rush to take advantage of accessible water, affordable electricity and the state’s cool climate. At least 47
Medical groups have registered in favor of a bill that would bar health insurance companies from requiring providers to accept virtual credit card payments. AB351 author Rep. Clint Moses, R-Menomonie, said the measure would help health care providers avoid getting
Wisconsin has a lot of areas to improve on when it comes to cybersecurity, including gaps in statutory definitions, AI use and collaboration between groups, experts say. A panel of experts during an Assembly Science, Technology, and AI Committee informational
The American Dairy Coalition, American Business Immigration Coalition and U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden at the World Dairy Expo advocated for immigration law changes to bolster the agriculture workforce. Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, said he wants to create a
The Forestry Revitalization Act is up for public comment Thursday in the Senate Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry Committee. The bill aims to make Wisconsin a global aviation biofuel production hub through spending $210 million in state funds to
Wisconsin’s competitive edge in biotech is being threatened by “national headwinds” for the industry, according to a startup specialist at WEDC. Shayna Hetzel, vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., spoke yesterday during a meeting of the agency’s board of directors. Representing the Wisconsin Investment
QTS Data Centers has announced a new research effort with UW-Madison, putting $1.5 million toward improving data center sustainability. The global digital infrastructure business and the university on Friday announced the Advancing Data Center Sustainability research initiative, which involves the UW-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and other faculty across
A panel discussion around AI highlighted differing views on the technology’s potential for workforce disruption in Wisconsin, with some in state government more optimistic than others. Yesterday’s WisBusiness-WisPolitics-State Affairs luncheon event was held in UW-Milwaukee’s Connected Systems Institute, which helps advance industrial technology applications with Microsoft’s help for manufacturers in
Wauwatosa startup RoddyMedical plans to roll out its medical line management device at Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus in the near future. Founder and CEO Lindsey Roddy shared an update on the business during the Wisconsin Technology Council’s recent Early Stage Symposium in Madison. She said the company has made substantial
The Wisconsin Grocers Association has confirmed grocers across the state are accepting FoodShare after state agencies called on retailers to keep taking the benefits amid legal turmoil over the program. The departments of Health Services and Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection yesterday issued a release warning businesses in the FoodShare
Republican lawmakers are circulating a bill to create an income tax credit that would help offset the costs of in vitro fertilization in Wisconsin. Sen. Howard Marklein of Spring Green and Rep. Jessie Rodriguez of Oak Creek last week sent the co-sponsorship memo to other lawmakers, seeking support for establishing
Maggie Brickerman, the new president of the Wisconsin Technology Council, has laid out her vision for the organization’s future, which includes driving more investment deals in the state. Speaking yesterday at the group’s Early Stage Symposium in Madison during her third day on the job, Brickerman discussed how her past
Milwaukee’s local labor market is showing signs of “beginning to cool down,” an economist with Marquette University says. Nicholas Jolly, an associate professor of economics at the Milwaukee university, co-authored a report released yesterday detailing economic trends for the region and state. The Economic Scorecard for Southeastern Wisconsin shows unemployment
Legislation being circulated by Dem lawmakers would create a $5 million annual tax credit program for early-career farmers, helping to offset the cost of acquiring land and other farming assets. Sen. Mark Spreitzer of Beloit and Rep. Jenna Jacobson of Oregon recently sent a co-sponsorship memo to other lawmakers on
GOP lawmakers are seeking to create a new tax break for nuclear fusion projects in Wisconsin, with a goal of making the state an “epicenter” for the technology’s development. Sen. Dan Feyen of Fond du Lac, as well as Reps. Benjamin Franklin of De Pere and David Steffen of Howard,
Madison-based Realta Fusion could build its first energy-producing fusion plant within 10 years, though the path ahead has some challenges. Robb Hughes, head of external affairs for the UW-Madison nuclear energy spinoff company, discussed this timeline during this week’s Wisconsin Energy Institute panel. He said the cost for energy produced
An expert says executive pressure to deploy AI is a problem for industry as the technology is increasingly seen as essential for competitiveness. Sahab Aslam, founder of Vectorify Labs and the AI sector lead at the Harvard Business School Alumni Angels of New York, was a featured speaker during yesterday’s
Medical experts argue a Republican-authored medical marijuana bill lacks safeguards while advocates say it would provide relief. Senate President Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Tomahawk, during a Senate Health Committee public hearing pointed to Hawaii’s decision in 2000 to become one of the first states to pass a medical cannabis program. The
Tariffs and rising input costs for farmers are pushing Wisconsin’s ag industry to find new trade partners and new ways to use crops, farmers say. China this year placed no orders for soybeans from the U.S. amid the Trump administration’s ongoing trade war with the nation, which previously imported roughly
Innovation-inspiring funding for decades of research and patents in Wisconsin would be rolled back if the federal government skimmed profits from patents developed by federally funded universities, experts say. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick last month in an interview with The Hill said it’s unfair that the federal government gives universities
Wisconsin has become a hotbed of data center activity over the past few years as some of the biggest names in the business rush to take advantage of accessible water, affordable electricity and the state’s cool climate. At least 47 data centers are currently up and running or proposed in
Medical groups have registered in favor of a bill that would bar health insurance companies from requiring providers to accept virtual credit card payments. AB351 author Rep. Clint Moses, R-Menomonie, said the measure would help health care providers avoid getting stuck with an extra fee they then have to pass
Wisconsin has a lot of areas to improve on when it comes to cybersecurity, including gaps in statutory definitions, AI use and collaboration between groups, experts say. A panel of experts during an Assembly Science, Technology, and AI Committee informational hearing yesterday provided several hours of insight into the current
The American Dairy Coalition, American Business Immigration Coalition and U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden at the World Dairy Expo advocated for immigration law changes to bolster the agriculture workforce. Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, said he wants to create a program attached to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s app
The Forestry Revitalization Act is up for public comment Thursday in the Senate Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry Committee. The bill aims to make Wisconsin a global aviation biofuel production hub through spending $210 million in state funds to attract what lawmakers have said would amount to a $1.5