Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton praised a bill that would help the state’s small businesses, workers and overall economic climate at a legislative committee hearing Thursday.
The Connecting Opportunity, Research and Entrepreneurship bill, which appeared before the Assembly Committee on Jobs, the Economy and Small Business and the Senate Committee on Economic Development, provides funding for several business projects and initiatives, including University of Wisconsin System research centers.
Lawton said she commends committee chairs Rep. Louis Molepske, D-Stevens Point and Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point as well as other legislators for their work on the CORE bill.
“I came to applaud the bill’s authors and sponsors for providing leadership to address a critical need … and that is job creation.” Lawton said. “I wanted to express my complete agreement that the job of state government is to enrich the matrix in which businesses grow and jobs are created.”
The other purpose of her appearance, Lawton said, was to voice her opinion on possible adjustments to the bill.
“I wanted to give some specific feedback where I thought [the bill] could be strengthened, and to make a strong statement… . We will never get out of the status of being in a fiscal crisis unless we address Wisconsin’s economy in an analytical and a strategic way,” Lawton said.
She added she hopes the state will continue to work away from the old economic system and change to accommodate the new business atmosphere.
Molepske, one of the lead authors of the CORE bill, said its purpose is to improve Wisconsin’s economy through investments in small businesses, research and the workforce.
“This bill is to provide new tools to strengthen the economy today and provide for long-term recovery,” Molepske said. “Wisconsinites who are asking for the next proposal on job creation can look at the CORE bill as the answer.”
One aspect of the CORE bill is funding to create research partnerships between businesses and UW comprehensive campuses through WiSys Technology Foundation, a division of Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.
The bill would allocate funding to certain UW System campuses, not including UW-Madison, for emerging technology centers.
“Currently the bill requires that comprehensive universities will receive money and will raise money with private sources to help offset the bill’s costs and create self-accountability (with the university),” Molepske said.
At the hearing, Rep. Pat Strachota, R-West Bend, questioned in particular why UW-La Crosse did not request funding for its Drug Development Center in its budget proposal to the UW System Board of Regents, as other projects deemed “top priorities” were presented.
Lassa and UW-La Crosse Provost Kathleen Enz Finken responded by saying the project stemmed from a job creation task force recommendation and the Board of Regents are in support of including the center in the CORE bill.
Lawton added she agrees with the suggestion by numerous UW System officials that there should be flexibility in how much money a university needs to raise on its own for project funding.
“I think the notion of WiSys is very important, but should that investment come on the backs of students though?” Lawton said. “These costs should not possibly be reflected on a student’s tuition bill.”
