BACK TO BUSINESS
Cory Fish, General Counsel & Director of Tax, Transportation and Legal Affairs,
Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce
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Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce is proud to release a proposal that will protect the lives and livelihoods of Wisconsinites and encourage the Legislature and Governor to implement the plan as soon as possible.
The Back to Business plan is designed to strategically open Wisconsin businesses based on a number of risk factors and offers employers a clear vision for when and how they can begin to operate, once again. It was developed with input from a diverse group of stakeholders, including those in business, government and the medical community. Additionally, it draws on best practices and recommendations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Working with a number of partners, WMC developed a prototype that can be quickly adopted by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The platform uses an algorithm to determine the risk for an individual business based on a number of factors:
- Infection Rate in County of Operation
- Population Density of County of Operation
- Interactive Concentration (Based on NAICS Code Business Sector)
- Health Care Capacity/Utilization in County of Operation
Companies would be given a risk factor of minimal, moderate or substantial based on an in-depth analysis of more than 300 NAICS codes and various data points from public health sources.
The higher the risk, the more precautions businesses would be required to take to avoid further spread of COVID-19. Precautions can include, but are not limited to social distancing among employees and customers, operating at reduced capacity, increasing use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and stepping up cleaning procedures.
The platform relies on readily available government health data. So, as public health conditions change, it will automatically dial-up or dial-down businesses’ safety requirements – a nimble approach not found in other plans.
More details about the Back to Business plan are available by clicking the links below:
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A LETTER TO PARTNERS
Tom Diehl, President
Association of Wisconsin Tourism Attractions
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Governor Evers has recently extended Wisconsin’s Safer at Home order until May 26. We, as Wisconsin citizens and business owners, deserve to know, understand and review the scientific information and data upon which his decision was based. This decision cannot be based on politics. There is too much at stake for the State of Wisconsin, both in terms of public health and the economic health of our State. Because the Governor did not provide us with his scientific analysis, I am left to reviewing the science that has been developed and is available publicly.
Current models project that Wisconsin, with a population of a little more than five million people, will have somewhere between 300 and 600 deaths. The current projection is around 350 deaths and any loss of life is tragic. These numbers have dropped substantially from earlier projections as more information is being gathered not only in the United States but across the world as well.
In addition, while the COVID-19 virus is highly transmissible and is deadly to those who contract a serious case with respiratory difficulties, the mortality rate is likely much lower than originally feared, especially for the young and healthy. This is due to the likelihood that actual infections are significantly greater than reported infections, as many people who contract the virus are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms that didn’t necessitate a test. This has been shown to be true in some early studies.
Stanford University, University of Bonn in Germany and Mass General Hospital in Boston all recently conducted blood tests on sample populations from infected regions to see who has COVID-19 antibodies, which means they have the virus or already had it. The estimates from these early studies indicate that there may be between 10-80 times more people who have been infected than the number of reported infections. If this data proves accurate through peer-review and further study, it would imply a mortality rate from COVID-19 that is similar to or slightly higher than the seasonal flu, not many multiples of it as originally feared.
While this doesn’t reduce the need to continue to shelter our vulnerable and remain cautious with our personal hygiene, it does hold promise for allowing businesses and workers to begin returning to their lives in an intelligent and phased manner.
Wisconsin’s extended shutdown is proving to be punishing for the private sector and it risks causing serious instability to our society. Over 385,000 Wisconsin residents have lost their jobs in the last four weeks, with the entire loss coming from the 1.9 million private sector jobs in Wisconsin. This is a 20% reduction in jobs coming from the private sector work force. I am certain this week’s unemployment numbers will add dramatically to these numbers, as business owners are now faced with the fact that they cannot open before May 26.
The public sector jobs in Wisconsin number approximately 300,000 and virtually none of the State’s current job losses came from the public sector. Sadly, some of these public sector staff are the same people who are making the decisions that affect the private sector and its loss of jobs. These decision makers feel none of the pain that the rest of the State is experiencing.
I am not making light of the situation we are in and Governor Evers acted quickly and responsibly in enacting the initial Safer at Home order, set to expire on April 23. And while 350 mortalities in Wisconsin to COVID-19 is still 350 too many, I believe that losing 385,000+ jobs and experiencing huge business failures by keeping Wisconsin shuttered is not the way to go and will have devastating consequences, including negative health implications of those who remain unemployed.
There is a logical and safe way to open the Wisconsin economy without continuing down this destructive path. We can protect our vulnerable by keeping them safe at home. We can take current CDC recommendations and have people wear masks when they are out and about. We can put together the best and brightest minds in our state to come up with reasonable and safe standards for a reopening.
It is interesting to note that the essential businesses that were allowed to remain open came up with their own best practices for confronting COVID-19, without State mandates. The food supply chain is working remarkably well. Walmart, Costco and all of the major grocery chains and independent operators have put in place sound safety measures to help prevent the spread of the virus. They did this with little or no direction from the State. Everyone who has shopped for food and supplies knows exactly to what I am referring. Personal responsibility goes a long way in controlling the spread of this virus. Other business sectors can do the same, if given the opportunity.
To make the announcement to extend Wisconsin’s shutdown until May 26 without having a well thought out plan on how to reopen, to me, is irresponsible and destructive. Governor Evers must immediately create a task force made up of private sector individuals and knowledgeable health officials to create a comprehensive phased plan that addresses an orderly and safe restart of our economy. If we wait until May 26 to start this process, we run the risk of permanently destroying Wisconsin’s economy and the loss of thousands of small businesses. We don’t have the luxury of waiting – time is of the essence.
Tom Diehl
President, Association of Wisconsin Tourism Attractions
Affiliations
President, Tommy Bartlett, Inc.
Board Member, Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau
Board Trustee, Village of Lake Delton
Board Member, Bank of Wisconsin Dells
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COVID-19: EMPLOYER RESOURCES AND INFORMATION AVAILABLE
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NEWS FROM THE CAPITOL AND AROUND WISCONSIN
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GOV. EVERS ANNOUNCES EXPANDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR CERTAIN NONESSENTIAL BUSINESSES
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Gov. Tony Evers today announced more changes for operations of nonessential businesses, providing some opportunity for businesses to get back to work in a safe and responsible way.
The Emergency Order allows nonessential businesses to do curbside drop-off of goods and animals. This will allow businesses like dog groomers, small engine repair shops, upholstery businesses, and others to safely open. Today's order also allows outdoor recreational rentals, such as boats, golf carts, kayaks, ATVs, and other similar recreational vehicles. Additionally, automatic or self-service car washes would be able to operate. All of these businesses must operate free of contact with customers by providing payment options online or over the phone, enact proper disinfecting practices, and operations must be able to be performed by one staff member.
Emergency Order #34 is available
here
and goes into effect at 8 a.m. Wednesday, April 29, 2020. If you have questions regarding Emergency Order #34, please review the frequently asked questions document available
here.
In addition to the requirements outlined above, all essential and nonessential businesses must continue to follow social distancing and safety practices required under the Safer at Home order, available
here.
A document summarizing these safe business practices by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) is available
here.
Businesses can visit WEDC.org for additional resources on taking the necessary steps to keep workers, businesses, and customers safe.
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REPUBLICANS ASK, EVERS RESPONDS TO LIST OF QUESTIONS ON DECISION-MAKING
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A group of twelve Republican State Senators last week sent a letter to Governor Tony Evers "with a series of questions" about the science and information Evers uses to make decisions through the COVID-19 response in Wisconsin.
In the letter, the lawmakers assert that Evers has "changed some of (his) public positions and created turmoil with others." They went on to say "Wisconsinites are confused. Some are scared, some are angry, and some just want to know the truth about what is happening in the state."
Governor Evers
responded to their questions on Friday, with detailed responses on why and how he makes his decisions pertaining to businesses and public health.
But Evers' response was not to the liking of GOP State Senator Van Wanggaard (R-Racine), who said he appreciated Governor Evers' insights. "But Evers response, as far as it goes, shows the frightening results of his decisions," Wanggaard said.
"It appears that Evers is actively thinking about extending Safer at Home into and possibly through the summer at the cost of almost three-quarters of a million people losing their jobs. Given his admission that the length of "Safer-at-Home" has no impact on lessening a substantial peak overwhelming hospitals, substantially extending the "Safer-at-Home" order makes little sense."
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30,000 WISCONSIN RESIDENTS APPLY FOR NEW FEDERALLY-BACKED PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE (PUA)
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Over 30,000 Wisconsinites have applied for the new federally-backed Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program that was created in the stimulus bill passed last month.
The plan expands eligibility of unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who might not otherwise qualify for the benefits. Some examples of those are independent contractors, freelance workers, and those with limited work history.
According to one source, the Department of Workforce Development, which oversees and administers unemployment benefits in Wisconsin, said they received over 17,000 applications on the first day the new program launched.
Individuals approved for the program can receive between $163 and $370 per week in benefits for no longer than 39 weeks.
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STATE SENATE DEMOCRATS CHOOSE NEW MINORITY LEADER
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Democrats in the Wisconsin State Senate, the minority party, chose their new leader in light of Senator Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse) announcing she would not be seeking re-election in November. Democrat members of the Senate chose Senator Janet Bewley (D-Mason) to lead their caucus.
Bewley was the Assistant Minority Leader, and was elected unanimously to serve in the role. Not only will Bewley direct the legislative agenda for the Senate Democrats, but will also take control of the campaign arm, which works to elect members of her party to the Republican-dominated State Senate. That group is known as the State Senate Democratic Committee, or SSDC.
"I am honored that my colleagues have entrusted me with the responsibility of serving as the Senate Democratic Leader. I especially want to thank Senator Jennifer Shilling for her years of service and leading our caucus with passion, dedication and grace. She fully embodies the Democratic values that we hold dear and I look forward to continuing her legacy."
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WISCONSIN UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS STILL ON THE RISE, U.S. PASSES 26 MILLION
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The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has created a website for the public to show the statistics of unemployment claims in Wisconsin during the government's COVID-19 response.
Sunday, 5461 (2020) vs. 577 (2019)
Monday, 10,913 (2020) vs. 1,244 (2019)
Tuesday 9,949 (2020) vs. 766 (2019)
Wednesday 7,742 (2020) vs. 603 (2019)
Thursday 6,730 (2020) vs. 588 (2019)
Friday 5,950 (2020) vs. 640 (2019)
Saturday 1,885 (2020) vs. 152 (2019)
Total- 48,630 claims, versus the same week last year, which totaled 4,570 claims.
U.S. Weekly jobless claimed totaled 4.4 million, which puts the five week total at over 26 million. That number is more than all of the new jobs created since the Great Recession.
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DRUG TAKE BACK DAY POSTPONED
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National Drug Take Back Day, originally scheduled for April 25, 2020 has been postponed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) due to coronavirus. Attorney General Josh Kaul is encouraging Wisconsinites to continue the fight against the opioid epidemic by safely storing medications at home or disposing of medications at currently available drug disposal boxes.
“While we fight the coronavirus, the opioid epidemic hasn’t stopped and it remains important to stop medications from being diverted for improper and illegal use. If disposing of unused and unwanted medications in a drug disposal box isn’t currently an option, people can still help prevent the misuse of prescriptions drugs by keeping their medications secure,” said Attorney General Kaul.
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By clicking the link, you acknowledge that it is the policy of WPT, Inc. to publish all comments that are submitted by members each week, often including broad differences of opinion within the weekly responses. Our organization values our role in fostering dialogue within our membership, but does not take responsibility for the individual views and opinions expressed herein. It is the right of WPT to remove responses that what the organization deems to be vulgar, hateful, or inflammatory language.
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WEEKLY MEMBER POLL RESULTS
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How do you feel about the Tavern League's 'Safe at Work' plan for safely reopening taverns, restaurants, and supper clubs in Wisconsin?
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Very disappointed in the tavern league. They need to help fight back instead of surrendering!
The restaurants and taverns have lost so much income, let them get back in business. (The State has also lost a lot of revenue.)
May 1st is too soon
start it today!
What is the plan - I have not seen it.
We need to go a week or two with no new cases. THAT is when you start opening things up. NOT before. We don't want a major resurgence of this.
People need to work, to prevent socialism
It will surely fall back to business as usual...very concerning to me, will be staying out of the bars for a while yet.
let's get people working - too many small businesses are going to close for good. this sounds like a great way to begin
How about Trump doing something for the common good for change and get a federal plan to test the nation instead of passing the buck and blame someone else. If we can test then we'll know how to all businesses and start helping the little guys.
Makes sense
I would start at a small scale
Sounds reasonable but probably won’t be followed by most places
How do you keep patrons social distanced at the local pub....take away every 2 bar stools?
Taking on more self responsibility would be a good thing.
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Legislative leaders will try to petition the Supreme Court of Wisconsin to block Governor Tony Evers' extension of the "Safer at Home" order to May 26th. What do you think?
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People need to wear masks. Lot are not doing that.
Good grief, let people get back to work.
I don't want to open my business only to have to close it again if the virus gets out of control
Need to open up now, or there will not be anything left to open!
If we open too soon and the virus surges again, we will be in worse trouble.
LEAVE IT ALONE. This is the time to consider the LIVES of people. Money means less than nothing when you put bodies in the ground. We have to stamp this out FIRST and then re-open, and re-open cautiously and slowly.
a form of social distancing is needed but safer at home is not working when their is no parking spaces available at Menards and Grocery stores, isolate the hot spots only
we know its gonna get adjusted, but the gop gotta throw at the supreme court??
people need to use common sense. i think with the amount of testing done we really have no idea how this is spreading or being cured in WI
Evers is nuts.
Evers extended to far out,why not 1-2 weeks at a time?
If we had sufficient testing supported from the White House, then there quite reasonably would not be a need to have an extension to the Safer at Home order. What are the Republican's plans to ensure if things are fully reopened that not only the metro areas do not have a resurgence, but the rural areas also do not become new hot spots. Going to the Supreme Court is good for politics, which is what this is probably about.
Gov. Evers wants to kill the state ecomimally
governor Evers has abused his power by extending the safer at home policy.He has allowed the biggest abortion provider in the state to stay open for business,while not allowing necessary surgeries. He says we could save 300 lives and at the same time is taking more lives through abortions!
Ass I understand,according to law he can't shut things down for more than 60 days from the date of the first shutdown which would end hi shutdown about mid May.
Maybe they should read the state constitution. I would have liked to seen this decision taken up every 2 weeks instead.
Some rural counties don't even have a single case.
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What do you think of mandatory furloughs of taxpayer-funded employees?
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Yes state workers can sit at home as well.
If there is not enough work or revenue, state workers should be furloughed. Private businesses are furloughing.
Yes, aybe Evers will rethink his decision if those workers are laid off as well.
The UW systems needs a restructure, a form of virtual learning is here to stay
furlough state paid employees. the rest of us are struggling, tax payer funded jobs should be the first to be hit
problem is--we as taxpayers will still have to pay their wages
UW has 600 administrative staff? What a rip-off!
No classes no work
I know of private sector employees being furloughed or mandatory salary reductions right now. Reduced pay or no pay, pick your poison.
They do not work that hard, so why should we exacerbate the problem
Yes,if it is necessary,They should be treated the same as people in the private sector. Question: Did the Governor ever hold a position which was not taxpayer funded?
I have a family member working on the job in the Capitol buildingor for DHS and know others who work from home every day for Dept. of Transportation and prisons. Maybe some are not vital to the State and could be furloughed randomly. on
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