WED AM News: PSC Chair Strand calls for action on Affordable Connectivity Program; Harbor projects getting $10M in grant funding

February 7, 2024

— Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand has called for action on the federal Affordable Connectivity Program, noting it’s set to expire in the spring without additional funding from Congress.

She argues Wisconsin is “poised to take a major step backwards” on internet access and affordability if the program isn’t extended by federal lawmakers. She’s urging state residents to contact their federal lawmakers to advocate for continuing the program.

“Access to broadband infrastructure alone is not enough to bridge the digital divide,” Strand said yesterday in a statement. “We must ensure internet service is also affordable so everyone can participate in our economy and society. The path to internet affordability starts by extending the ACP.”

In a fact sheet released yesterday, the White House touted the impact of the initiative, enacted under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to reduce internet costs for low-income households and other recipients. About 23 million U.S. households are participating in the program, which provides up to $30 per month for eligible households and up to $75 per month for residents of qualifying tribal lands.

A total of 425,345 households in the state are now enrolled, according to the latest figures on the program. Both in Wisconsin and at the national level, about one in six households is registered.

The state has received about $218 million in funding through the program since it launched at the end of 2021, which breaks down to about $12.4 million in total savings per month, according to the fact sheet.

It also includes a breakdown of funding and household coverage by congressional district. The state’s 4th District, which covers most of Milwaukee, has received the most with about $65 million in funding. Funding for other districts ranges from $15 million in the 5th to $31 million in the 1st.

Gov. Tony Evers last week sent a letter to the state’s federal lawmakers calling for the investments needed to extend the program.

“ACP is critically important to thousands of families and households across every Wisconsin congressional district,” Evers wrote. “Continuing this program is essential to advancing our efforts to end the digital divide and ensure all Wisconsinites have access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet.”

A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers last month introduced a bill that would provide $7 billion in funding for the ACP.

See the fact sheet and Strand’s message.

— Eight harbor projects across Wisconsin are getting $10 million in new grant funding through the state’s Harbor Assistance Program.

State officials yesterday announced the grant funds, which are going toward various maintenance and improvement efforts at ports in the state. Department of Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson noted in the release that the Mississippi River, Lake Superior and Lake Michigan each connect the state to international commerce through maritime routes.

“The investments we make this year build on strategic efforts to connect transportation modes and maximize opportunities for economic development,” Thompson said.

Grants include:

*$3 million for Superior to rebuild a city-owned dock wall along property owned by Elkhorn Industries and dredge the bed of Superior Bay.

*$2.2 million for an effort by Hanke Terminals in La Crosse to rebuild a failing dock wall used for transportation of agricultural products and other goods.

*$1.34 million for City Centre LLC in Manitowoc to build a new pad for assembling, testing and shipping new cranes made by Konecranes Inc. of New Berlin.

*$1 million for Briess Malt Inc. in Manitowoc to dredge the Manitowoc River and upgrade a ship unloading system used for ag products.

*$813,800 for Superior to stabilize the shoreline and remove a failing dock wall owned by General Mills along the St. Louis River.

*$720,000 for an effort by Perch Point LLC and Port Milwaukee to build a loading dock and fixed crane to facilitate the delivery of shoreline protection materials for Lake Michigan.

*$562,000 for Manitowoc to dredge the Manitowoc River to enable shipping at the St. Mary’s Cement facility.

*$382,400 for Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay to dredge the bay, supporting the passage of vessels using the manufacturer’s facility.

See more project details in the release.

— State and local officials are hosting several community job fairs in Eau Claire this month as the community grapples with recently announced hospital closures.

Gov. Tony Evers and state agency leaders met Monday with dozens of local leaders in Eau Claire to discuss the response to Hospital Sisters Health System and Prevea closing multiple care facilities in Western Wisconsin. That includes HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls.

About 1,400 workers in the region are expected to be impacted by the closures, according to the state Department of Workforce Development.

In a statement on the meeting, Evers said the state is “working diligently to help connect affected workers with jobs, ensure patients have uninterrupted access to care, and coordinate with insurers to make sure that people retain continuous, affordable insurance coverage.”

DWD and the West Central Works Workforce Development Board are holding job fairs with health care employers and other businesses today and Feb. 20. Both will be open to the public and will feature more than 80 employers, according to a release.

Meanwhile, Insurance Commissioner Nathan Houdek says his office is working to ensure that “people are not being charged extra for going out of network when necessary” due to the hospital closures.

“We want to see a smooth transition, and we have a team of people dedicated to answering questions and handling complaints regarding access and charging,” he said in a statement.

See more details in the release, and see a recent related story.

Top headlines from the Health Care Report…

— Evers has announced 25 appointees to the Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce, including state agency leaders as well as those representing higher education and health systems.

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

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