The MWFPA News Bulletin is underwritten in part by Bug Blocker Doors & Screens
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Evaluating Trump’s Effect on the Food Industry
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When Donald Trump was elected president, a lot of people were very surprised. It’s safe to say that his presidency has been a series of surprises, for just about everybody. Including the food and beverage industry.
View a
short video and read
the latest from Food Processing's "Evaluating Trump’s Effect on the Food Industry".
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The MWFPA News Bulletin is underwritten in part by Alliant Energy
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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar have announced the appointment of 20 nationally recognized scientists to serve on the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Read
more
.
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U.S. Considering Replacing Metal Tariffs With Quotas: Perdue
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According to
Bloomberg, U.S. trade negotiators are working to replace aluminum and steel tariffs with "reasonable quotas Canada and Mexico can live with," Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said.
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WI Gov. Evers Unveils Budget; Includes Gas Tax, Minimum Wage Increase
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WI Gov. Tony Evers released his 2019-2021 biennial budget Thursday, which included providing IDs for undocumented immigrants, a minimum wage increase and rolling back a manufacturing tax credit program to pay for a middle class income tax cut.
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Pritzker Signs IL Minimum Wage Increase
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IL Governor JB Pritzker signed
SB 1
into law drastically increasing the State's minimum wage by 82%, to $15 an hour by 2025.
The Democratic Governor campaigned on a minimum wage increase and the results of the last election gave him plenty of support from his Democratic colleagues to pass the bill through both chambers of the General Assembly in less than two weeks.
The IL business community proposed a longer phase in and a more robust tax credit for small employers. Unfortunately, Democratic lawmakers ignored the business community and gave Governor Pritzker the ability to raise the minimum wage across the state in justfive years.
The first increase in minimum wage goes into effect on January 1, 2020 and additional increases will progress on the following schedule:
January 1, 2020 $ 9.25
July 1, 2020 $10.00
January 1, 2021 $11.00
January 1, 2022 $12.00
January 1, 2023 $13.00
January 1, 2024 $14.00
January 1, 2025 $15.00
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Wage History Bill Moving In IL Legislature
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Legislation is moving through the IL House (
HB 834
) which is identical to a bill that passed both the House and Senate last year before being vetoed by Gov. Rauner
Reps Anna Moeller's gender equity bill would restrict an employer from inquiring about a person's previous wage history, previous salary and benefits. The legislation is an attempt to tackle the issue of gender discrimination in the hiring and promoting process.
The IL Manufacturers Association, while supporting anti-discrimination policies and opposing discrimination in any form, including gender, opposes this legislation as it eliminates the affirmative defenses that are provided in current law while exposing employers to compounding penalties.
The bill also allows employees to double down by bringing action in both state and federal courts potentially doubling both fines and wages.
Other legislation, such as
HB 881
, has been introduced which would also prevent an employer from asking a person about their wage history while also providing affirmative defenses to employers.
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IL's Pritzker Proposes First Budget
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Democrat Governor JB Pritzker offered his inaugural Budget Address to a joint session of the IL General Assembly recently.
The FY2020 budget assumes revenue of $38.93 billion, a $1.493 billion, or a 4 percent increase over FY19. After spending, the budget has an estimated surplus of $155 million but is not balanced because it continues the structural deficit.
The FY2020 budget estimates $1.1 billion in new revenue that includes legalization of sports wagering, legalization and licensing of recreational marijuana, a cap on the “retailer’s discount,” a cigarette tax increase, a tax on plastic bags and a Managed Care Organization assessment, to name a few.
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NASDA Elevates Hemp Policy
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NASDA acknowledges the economic potential of industrial hemp in the United States and encourages uniformity in hemp regulation.
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AFFI Raises Bar On Food Safety With Online Listeria Control Program
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The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) unveiled the Food Safety Zone at
AFFIFoodSafety.org
during the
2019 AFFI Frozen Food Convention
, sharing with the 1,500 attendees the key features and benefits of the one-stop food safety resource for all frozen food companies.
The program is free to all food processors. Read more
here
.
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Did You Remember Your Dues?
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Just a friendly reminder to remit your 2019 membership dues. Invoices were sent out in November and were due the first week in January.
Don't miss out on all of the exciting MWFPA events coming up this year! Thanks to all of you who have sent in your payment. We look forward to working with you. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss your membership, please contact Jane Algiers at 608.255.9946 or
[email protected]
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Have Your Children Applied For A Friday/Weckel Scholarship?
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The Carleton A. Friday Scholarship and
Kenneth G. Weckel Scholarship
programs
offer up to three $1,500 scholarships (total of six) to deserving undergraduate students who are majoring in agriculture or food science within the University of Wisconsin system (currently Madison, Platteville and River Falls).
Each student needs to complete only one application and required financial forms to apply for both the Carleton A. Friday and Kenneth G. Weckel scholarships.
The deadline for submission of applications is April 26, 2019.
For more information and to download an application, click
here
.
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Welcome Aboard to Our Newest Members!
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Axley Brynelson LLP -
Based in Madison and Waukesha Wisconsin, Axley Brynelson provide award-winning legal services in over 100 practice areas.
Baumer Ltd
-
An international family-owned business with a passion for sensor technology, encoders, measuring instruments and components for automated image processing.
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MWFPA is an official partner of ProFood Tech, the premiere event for food and beverage processing.
MWFPA members receive complimentary registration by using code:
MWFPACC
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The Annual Member Spring Summit & Scramble is Right Around the Corner!
REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW
!
MAY 29, 2019 - Summit
Kalahari Convention Center and Resort
MAY 30, 2019 - Scramble
Trappers Turn Golf Course
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Mark Your Calendar: MWFPA Events You Won't Want To Miss
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March 20, 2019:
Raw Products Committee
meeting. MWFPA offices.
March 21, 2019:
MWFPA & WCMA Information Meeting with WI DNR
, Noah’s Event Center, 5020 American Family Drive, Madison, WI, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
April 3, 4 and 5:
Preventive Controls Qualified Individual Training Workshop
, M3 Insurance
828 John Nolen Drive, Madison, WI
May 29-30, 2019:
MWFPA Spring Summit & Scramble
. Trappers Turn Golf Course, Wisconsin Dells, WI.
October 10, 2019:
MWFPA Sporting Clay Challenge
,
Milford Hills Gun Club, Johnson Creek, WI.
December 3 - 5, 2019:
MWFPA 115th Annual Convention and 92nd Processing Crops Conference
. Kalahari Resort & Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells, WI.
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OTHER EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS
Champaign, Illinois. E
xplore how tech is addressing significant changes facing the agricultural industry including prevalent innovations in animal sciences with perspectives from ADM, Elanco, TellTail and AGCO. Register
here
.
March 26–28, 2019:
ProFood Tech,
McCormick Place, Chicago, Il. The only event in North America focused exclusively on all food and beverage sectors, featuring 7,000 processing professionals and 450 of the world’s top suppliers with booths covering 150,000 net square feet of exhibit floor. For more information:
https://www.profoodtech.com/
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Brian Elliott | Midwest Food Products Association | Ph: (608) 255-9946 | Fax: (608) 255-9838
Web: www.mwfpa.org
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