By WisBusiness Staff
Senate Democrats have unveiled a package of initiatives geared toward job creation and economic development.
Among the provisions in the “Connecting Opportunity, Research, and Entrepreneurship,” or C.O.R.E. Act, are an increase in grants available through the Accelerate Wisconsin program from $5.5 million to $8.5 million in 2010, and to $20 million in following years. It would also add $1 million to the Wisconsin Development Fund and pump more funding into job training programs.
The bill would also fund a “regulatory ombudsman” position to help businesses navigate the state’s permitting and approval process.
“The bill carefully targets our limited resources on the state’s competitive advantages and on innovative programs to meet our most important responsibility in today’s challenging economy: creating good-paying jobs for Wisconsin’s families,” Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point, said in a press release.
Sen. Ted Kanavas, R-Brookfield, says the initiatives fall short.
“Our state is dying. Businesses and people cannot move out of state fast enough and at this time of nearly unprecedented joblessness the Democrats have a plan to do as little as possible,” Kanavas countered in a press release.
