Today, a group of Senate Republicans unveiled a $928 billion, eight-year infrastructure counteroffer, a significant increase from the most recent $568 billion, five-year proposal.

The plan includes:

Republicans would pay for most of the spending by repurposing funds Congress has already approved for other purposes, primarily unspent COVID relief dollars.

Earlier this week, President Biden trimmed the price tag of his infrastructure plan (American Jobs Plan, AJP) from $2.25 trillion to $1.7 trillion. 

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act delivers $350 billion for state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to respond to the COVID-19 emergency and support economic recovery. On May 10, the Treasury Department issued interim guidance on how those funds can be used.

The State of Wisconsin receives about $2.5 billion, with billions more allocated for local governments in the state. These funds may be used to cover costs incurred (or funds obligated) by December 31, 2024.

According to the Interim Final Rule, recipients may use Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to:

According to the guidance, recipients will have broad latitude to use this funding to support government services, up to the amount of lost revenue. Government services can include "maintenance of infrastructure or pay-go spending for building new infrastructure, including roads..."

State and local governments will determine lost revenue by comparing actual revenue to what could have been expected in the absence of the pandemic. A recipient may calculate expected revenue using as an annual growth factor the greater of 4.1 percent or the recipient’s average annual revenue growth rate over the three full fiscal years before the COVID-19 public health emergency. Revenue loss may be calculated at four points: December 31, 2020; December 31, 2021; December 31, 2022; and December 31, 2023.

The following fund uses are precluded:

Visit the Treasury website for the Interim Final Rule, state and local government allocations, a fact sheet, FAQs, and other resources.

A new American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) study, “Throttled: The Economic Costs of Freight Bottlenecks,” quantifies the cost of freight shipments stuck in traffic. According to the report, freight bottlenecks cost the U.S. economy more than $42 billion in 2019 as shipments racked up almost 660 million hours of delay on the nation’s roadways.

“Our examination brings into sharp focus the continued costs of congestion on America’s highway network,” ARTBA Chief Economist Dr. Alison Premo Black said. “Legislation to address freight mobility through increased federal transportation investment would help alleviate these bottlenecks, increase business productivity, and power the economy for the next generation.”

Wisconsin is one of 26 states that faces $500 million or more in congestion costs annually.

After a year or more of sticking close to home and the vaccine rollout, people are ready to take flight, reconnect with family, and reschedule that vacation. TSA screenings hit a pandemic-era record on Sunday, May 16, at 1.851 million passengers, only to be topped one week later at 1.863 million. Domestic leisure travel leads the way, with business and international travel expected to take longer to rebound. [Graph source: Bloomberg – The U.S. Travel Rebound Is Leading Jet Fuel’s Summer Surge]

In the latest On The Go podcast, TDA Executive Director Debby Jackson speaks with Morgan Ramaker, executive director of BCycle. Headquartered in Waterloo, Wisconsin, BCycle develops and delivers best-in-class bike share systems. In a wide-ranging discussion, the two talk about the bike boom brought on by the pandemic and bike share trends across the nation and Wisconsin.

As Morgan explains, "Bike share lowers the barriers to entry to riding bikes. It's very easy to walk up and rent a bike for one little trip ... and maybe it gets them riding bike share more often. Maybe it eventually inspires them to want a bike of their own."

Listen to the podcasts here.

Also, check out Jackson’s In Business Madison Blog: Yet another reason to ride — May is Bike Month

The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to have been part of the Eau Claire community for more than 100 years. Over 1,100 businesses and organizations pride themselves on being investors of the Eau Claire Chamber.

2021 Annual Meeting - Tuesday, November 16