Unanimous, bipartisan JFC measure – Monroe Times

The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC), which I co-chair with Representative Mark Born, met on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, to continue our work on your behalf. Every agenda item passed with unanimous, bipartisan support. Even though summer is in full swing, the Legislature continues to work and move items through the legislative process.

JFC unanimously approved $20 million in Campus Community Transition Grants to assist communities where a University of Wisconsin (UW) branch campus has closed. This is a direct result of a bill I co-authored with Representative Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc) and Senator Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) that would help counties plan and redevelop underutilized campus buildings in the event of a campus closure.

Thanks to the JFC’s actions, Richland County is now eligible to apply for a $2 million Campus Community Transition Grant to support redevelopment efforts on UW-Platteville’s Richland campus. The money can be used for economic development, housing, infrastructure, and any other community redevelopment efforts. I look forward to seeing the new ideas and initiatives Richland County develops to use the property in innovative ways.

JFC also unanimously approved $7.5 million in grants to BioForward, Inc. to establish regional technology centers across Wisconsin. On July 2, 2024, Wisconsin received a $49 million grant from the federal government to support this important work. These funds will be used to accelerate product development in personalized health data, expand mobile cancer screening, and expand training programs and career pathways in biohealth.

According to BioForward, this investment could create up to 30,000 jobs and contribute up to $9 billion to regional gross domestic product growth. For more information on the BioForward Technology Hub, visit: https://www.bioforward.org/wisconsin-biohealth-tech-hub/.

Our legislative work continues even as the session ends. I am proud of our unanimous, bipartisan work to deliver results for the 17th Senate District and Wisconsin.

I hope this information is helpful as you prepare to vote. As always, please feel free to contact me with any suggestions or ideas or to ask for help. Send an email to sen.marklein@legis.

wisconsin.gov or call 608-266-0703. I want to hear from you.

– Senator Howard Marklein represents Wisconsin’s 17th Senate District.