The Wisconsin state Assembly passed two bills with bipartisan support Thursday designed to increase employment in Wisconsin.
The job bills, also known as the Marketing Manufacturing and Keeping Employees package, were authored by state Reps. Andy Jorgensen, D-Fort Atkinson, Jeff Stone, R-Greendale, and Scott Krug, R-Rome.
One bill, AB37, would allocate funds to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to form a manufacturing trade show that aims to help businesses grow and develop. The second bill, AB38, would require the WEDC to work with small and midsize business manufacturers around the state to improve advertising plans.
State Rep. Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, said in a statement Thursday the bills would create a partnership between state government and the private sector that could improve the economy by closing the growing gap between available jobs and the state’s expanding untrained workforce.
While the majority of Democrats and Republicans have supported the bill, others, such as state Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, have criticized it.
Nass said in a statement the bill is more focused on creating the appearance of bipartisanship than actually increasing state employment. As an example, he said one program, which aims to provide services to manufacturers within the private and public sectors, already exists in the state as the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
Still, Jorgensen said the bill is important because it represents members of both parties, giving it the ability to put politics aside and focus on economic growth and job creation.
The bills will now move to the state Senate for a vote.
