— Two passenger rail ideas once left for dead — a Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter line and an Amtrak route from Milwaukee to Madison — are back on the study track.
Should these and other proposals come to fruition, passenger trains could one day link eight of Wisconsin’s 10 largest cities to each other, Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Milwaukee is now the only one of those top 10 cities with Amtrak service.
Advocates say the proposed routes could stimulate investment and help workers reach jobs. If the southeastern Wisconsin commuter line dubbed KRM was established, “some of the poorest neighborhoods in this region would be connected to over 400,000 jobs within 30 minutes of public transit,” says Trevor Jung, Racine’s transit and mobility director. “That would be life-altering.”
Passenger rail also offers a solid return on investment by helping mid-sized cities like Eau Claire become more competitive, says Scott Rogers, chair of the West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition and vice president of the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce. And rail travel between mid-sized cities, like those in the Fox Valley, could ultimately have a “more meaningful impact” than passengers riding all the way to Chicago or Milwaukee, Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich has said.
But some of the proposals would have to overcome political opposition. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, successfully led efforts to kill the previous KRM commuter rail study. Republican opposition also doomed an earlier plan for fast trains between Milwaukee and Madison, and Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, have vowed to oppose state cash for that route.
In the 2023-’25 state budget, the GOP-led Legislature approved funding for upgrading current service to Chicago and the Twin Cities, but not for Wisconsin’s share of a proposed Minneapolis-to-Duluth route that would stop in Superior.
By contrast, Congress included $66 billion for passenger rail nationwide in the recent Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Some of that money is now funding an array of $500,000 “corridor identification” grants to study new or improved routes.
Four of those grants recently went to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and three went to other agencies seeking routes through this state. WisDOT studies would look at adding new service to Madison, Eau Claire, Green Bay and other Fox River Valley cities, as well as expanded service to Chicago and the Twin Cities.
Separately, Dem U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin helped Racine obtain a $5 million earmark in the 2022-’23 transportation appropriations bill to revive the KRM study.
See the full story at WisBusiness.com: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2024/two-wisconsin-passenger-rail-ideas-back-on-the-study-track/
— During a hearing on a pair of bills aimed at getting Wisconsin access to federal EV charging station grants, GOP state Rep. Shae Sortwell questioned why taxpayers should foot the bill for gas stations to install new charging stations.
Sortwell’s comments came during an Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee public hearing yesterday on two bills that would allow EV charging station owners to sell electricity to EV owners without being regulated as utilities. AB 846 would also allow EV charging stations to bill users by the amount of electricity they use — per kWh — instead of charging by time spent at the charger, something the federal government requires for states to access the $78.6 million in grants.
“And you know, the fact that Kwik Trip and 7-Eleven and all these other groups are supporting it; well of course they’re in support of it, because the taxpayer is going to pick up the bill for their new charging stations,” the Two Rivers Republican said. “I’m sure they’d be in support if we paid to replace all their gas pumps too.”
Bill author Rep. Nancy VanderMeer, R-Tomah, said her goal with the legislation is to help create a monetary value for electricity as a transportation fuel source.
“Right now, to the average person, what is the value of an electric charge? It’s rather ambiguous,” she said. “Most people don’t have an understanding. It’s not their fault. This is relatively new in our transportation.”
Federal rules require EV charging station projects to charge by the kWh instead of by time spent at the charger to receive the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funding.
Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Joel Nilsestuen said Wisconsin is one of two states left that has not made the change.
Nilsestuen said without a change to state law, the federal government has the ability to start clawing back funding that has already been given after Feb. 28, though he noted the federal government has discretion in when exactly it will start and how much it will claw back.
He also said the federal government has already made about $40 million of the money available to Wisconsin, though none of it has been distributed.
Committee Chair David Steffen, R-Green Bay, told WisPolitics he expects a floor vote on the measure before the end of the month. He also scheduled a committee vote on the bills for today.
There are 14 lobbying interests, including Clean Wisconsin, RENEW Wisconsin, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce and various private businesses, registered in favor of AB 846. No groups registered against the measure.
VanderMeer also said the measures are needed because they would establish a framework for how to better regulate EV charging, giving utilities a better platform for developing the infrastructure needed to charge EVs on a bigger scale.
The other bill, AB 846, would authorize DOT to accept the federal funds and start issuing grants to private businesses for fast charging station construction.
Sortwell also questioned Tesla Senior Policy Advisor Zachary Kahn on why the government should subsidize Tesla and other companies with existing charging station networks when those companies already plan on expanding their networks.
Kahn said Tesla currently has 34 charging locations across the state with 8-12 chargers at each location, and the company hopes to increase that to 50-60 locations with a total of 500-600 chargers over the next two years.
He argued the measure is important because it would help create a fairer way to charge EV owners to fuel up because some EVs take more time at the charger to get the same amount of electricity as others. Charging by the amount of electricity consumed would solve that problem, he said.
“That’s why with gas you pay by the gallon instead of by time,” he said.
The measures would also establish a $0.03 per kWh excise tax to help recoup lost gas tax revenue from drivers choosing EVs over gasoline-powered vehicles. The Department of Revenue’s fiscal estimate notes the state would still see a reduction in tax revenue.
An amendment VanderMeer offered would only apply that excise tax to those who use level 3 fast chargers, the highest EV charging station level. The amendment also exempts level 3 chargers from state sales tax.
Those charging with level 1 and 2 chargers, commonly used at home, would only pay sales tax per kWh and not the excise tax under the amendment.
The amendment would also only require those who plan to build new charging stations to register with the Department of Revenue, which would communicate with utilities so electricity providers have a better idea about new demands on the grid. The unamended bill would require a permit instead of just notification to DOR.
The amendment also allows the state to own, operate, manage or lease level 1 or 2 charging stations as long as the chargers are for public use free of charge.
See past bill coverage: https://www.wispolitics.com/2023/tue-pm-update-vos-says-republicans-not-done-yet-targeting-dei-after-approving-uw-pay-raises/
— The UW School of Medicine and Public Health has been selected for a five-year, $150 million federal grant as part of a national Alzheimer’s disease research effort.
This represents the largest award from the National Institutes of Health in UW-Madison’s history, the university announced yesterday.
The study is called Clarity in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Research Through Imaging, or CLARiTI. It’s aimed at improving clinical care for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, according to National Institute of Aging Program Director Dr. John Hsiao.
“The goal of this study is to help researchers better understand the full range of problems in the brain that may cause dementia,” Hsiao said in a statement. “We anticipate the results will help researchers develop better treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other devastating dementias.”
Meanwhile, study leader UW-Madison Prof. Sterling Johnson says the study marks “a significant milestone” for research on Alzheimer’s disease.
It involves all 37 Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers in the country, where scientists will work to establish standardized testing protocols for the disease, explore the function of small blood vessels in the brain and study neurodegeneration.
“We can shed light on the complex interplay of multiple pathologies contributing to dementia, ultimately advancing our understanding and treatment of this devastating condition,” Johnson said in the university’s release.
Centers taking part in the CLARiTI study will enroll 2,000 participants aged 55 years or older across the country, as researchers collect data from brain imaging and blood analysis to better understand how changes in the body relate to Alzheimer’s symptoms. After participating in the study for up to 36 months, volunteers will provide further information through follow-up by the research centers, the release shows.
Johnson added researchers aim to recruit at least a fourth of participants from groups that are historically underrepresented in studies like this.
“Health disparities are associated with a broad, complex and interrelated array of factors and it is vital we ensure our findings are applicable to all individuals affected by these devastating conditions,” he said.
See more: https://www.med.wisc.edu/news-and-events/2024/january/uw-chosen-to-lead-alzheimers-clariti-study/
<br><b><i>Top headlines from the Health Care Report…</b></i>
— Seven organizations are getting nearly $760,000 in grants to provide housing for homeless people with opioid addiction, Gov. Tony Evers announced.
<i>For more of the most relevant news on COVID-19, reports on groundbreaking health research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com.</i>
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— White House officials are urging Congress to provide more funding for a program that supports internet access for around 415,000 Wisconsin households.
More than 415,000 Wisconsin households — or about one in six in the state — are enrolled in the federal Affordable Connectivity Program, officials said yesterday during a call with reporters. The program provides eligible households up to $30 off their monthly internet bill, or up to $75 for residents of tribal lands. A total of 22.5 million households are enrolled.
That’s according to Stephen Benjamin, senior advisor to the president and director of the Office of Public Engagement. He said yesterday that funding for the program is slated to run out by April without action by federal lawmakers.
“As of this week, the FCC has been forced to initiate the process of winding down the ACP,” Benjamin said. “If Congress does not provide additional funding for ACP soon, millions of households will lose the benefit that they use to afford their internet service. This will set back every single state and community in the country.”
The Biden Administration is requesting $6 billion in funding to extend the program through 2024, officials said.
See more on the program: https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/
— A sawmill in Shawano County called Tigerton Lumber Co. continues to put its workers at risk of amputation and other dangers even after an employee was killed in 2018, according to federal inspectors.
The U.S. Department of Labor yesterday announced results of a follow-up inspection done as part of a federal program for “severe violators.” The business was placed in this category in 2019 following the investigation into its employee’s death in the prior year.
In July 2023, an OSHA inspection found the company had violated federal regulations on energy control procedures, failed to lock certain equipment properly and didn’t provide required safety training to employees.
OSHA has cited Tigerton Lumber for three repeat violations, 14 serious violations and two “other-than-serious” violations, for $283,608 in total penalties, the release shows. Some violations include inadequate guarding on machine components, stairs without railings, conveyors not being marked as prohibited areas or fenced off, open and unsafe electrical boxes and more.
— Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu has tapped two GOP state senators and a former Republican lawmaker for his appointments to the board overseeing the Milwaukee Brewers stadium.
Along with Sens. Dan Feyen, R-Fond du Lac, and Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, LeMahieu appointed Dale Kooyenga, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.
Kooyenga represented a suburban Milwaukee Senate seat before opting against seeking reelection in 2022 and joining the MMAC in early 2023.
Tim Sheehy, Kooyenga’s predecessor at MMAC, chaired the previous iteration of the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District. The bill the Legislature passed and Gov. Tony Evers signed last year to provide public financing for stadium renovations reconfigured the body.
Evers this week announced his six picks, along with his selection of a candidate nominated by the Brewers.
A spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, didn’t immediately respond to an email yesterday seeking comment on who he planned to appoint to the body. Like LeMahieu, the speaker has three picks on the 13-member board.
See Evers’ release: https://www.wispolitics.com/2024/gov-evers-announces-new-appointments-to-newly-reformed-southeast-wisconsin-professional-baseball-park-district-board/
#TOP STORIES#
# UW to head up $150 million national study on Alzheimer’s disease
# Wisconsin trails most of its neighbors on EV charging stations, requiring careful planning from travelers
# Froedtert Hospital plans to add 9-story tower in Wauwatosa
#TOPICS#
# AGRIBUSINESS
– New opportunities for farmers to advance on their conservation agriculture journeys
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=25&yr=2024
– Learn and give back at farm Wisconsin on MLK day
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=26&yr=2024
# CONSTRUCTION
– Germantown-based International Concrete Products bought by Illinois-based precast company
– Former Northridge Mall demolition to start this summer
– Northridge Mall demolition may start in summer following foreclosure this month
# EDUCATION
– Proposed teacher apprenticeship bill hopes to alleviate educator shortage
# ENVIRONMENT
– How clean is the upper Mississippi River? 6 takeaways from a new report
# HEALTH CARE
– Froedtert Hospital unveils plans for patient tower at Wauwatosa campus
– Froedtert Hospital plans nine-story addition at regional medical center
# LEGAL
– Shawano County sawmill faces $280K fine after after OSHA finds repeat violations
# MANAGEMENT
– Milwaukee Film CEO to step down, interim leader named
# POLITICS
– Wisconsin Senate majority leader names ballpark district members
# REAL ESTATE
– Program promotes homeownership for low-income Milwaukee renters
– Germantown-based International Concrete Products acquired by Illinois-based company
# TECHNOLOGY
– Milwaukee startup Frontdesk files bankruptcy alternative with $14M+ in liabilities
– Tarik Moody believes his Milwaukee-themed chatbots show practical use cases for AI locally
# PRESS RELEASES
<i>See these and other press releases:
https://www.wisbusiness.com/press-releases/ </i>
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