The Joint Finance Committee approved a bill Monday to create the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, which will take over economic development activities from the Department of Commerce.
The corporation, technically an authority, is a public-private partnership that develops and implements economic programs to support businesses, according to a statement by Bob Lange, director of the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. The organization would be run by a board of 13 directors composed of the governor, six governor appointments and six legislative appointments, state Rep. Robin Vos, R-Racine, said.
""While one bill is not the magic answer, this will help lay the foundation for a better business climate and get Wisconsin working again,"" Vos said in an e-mail. ""We know that Wisconsin is a great place to work, but we can make it even better.""
State Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, and Rep. Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, voted against the bill. A spokesman for Taylor said she had serious concerns about the accountability of the organization and the lack of mandated funds for minority business programs, which have been a part of the Commerce Department since 1990.
""Those programs have created thousands of jobs,"" the spokesman said. ""They've created millions of dollars of investments into minority businesses. And to leave them out, we have serious concerns that they won't be taken seriously.
""Promises are fine, but we want it in writing.""
Taylor plans to introduce an amendment to mandate funding for certain programs, including those that support minority businesses. The bill should be voted on in the Assembly this week, according to Vos.
