THU AM News: Latest Marquette poll finds most respondents say tariffs hurt economy; Edge co-op applauds framework for U.S.-Indonesia trade deal

July 24, 2025

— The majority of respondents in the latest Marquette University Law School Poll say tariffs hurt the economy, though the survey illustrates the partisan divide on the issue.

Among all adults in the recent national poll, 59% said tariffs hurt the economy, 28% said they help the economy and 12% said they don’t make much of a difference. Marquette University says the public “remains skeptical” about the benefits of enacting tariffs on products imported to the United States.

But 58% of Republican respondents said they help, while 28% said they hurt the economy and 14% were indifferent. Democrats were much more unified on the issue, with 91% saying they hurt the economy, just 4% saying they hurt and 5% saying it doesn’t make a difference.

Meanwhile, 60% of independents said tariffs hurt the economy, 12% said they help and 28% said they don’t make a difference.

Respondents were also asked how they think the Trump administration’s policies will affect inflation, which was rated as the most important issue facing the country by about a third of those surveyed.

Across all respondents, 28% said the administration’s policies will lead to lower inflation, 60% said they will increase inflation and 12% said they will have no effect.

As with tariffs, most Republicans side with President Donald Trump on the issue, with 55% saying his policies will decrease inflation, 26% saying they’ll increase inflation and 19% predicting no effect.

Among Democrats, 91% expect Trump’s policies will lead to higher inflation, 4% expect them to reduce inflation and 5% expect them to have no effect. And 70% of independents said they’ll increase inflation, 17% said they’d decrease inflation and 13% said they’ll have no effect.

The survey also found respondents’ financial situations have been “relatively stable” so far this year, with 35% living comfortably, 47% just getting by and 18% struggling. Those percentages are largely unchanged from the three previous polls.

The latest poll was conducted July 7-16 through online interviews using SSRS Opinion Panel with 1,005 adults across the country. The margin for error is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

See the full results.

— Green Bay’s Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative says it’s pleased with the initial framework for the recently announced U.S. trade agreement with Indonesia.

In a statement yesterday, the co-op noted Indonesia is the seventh largest export market for U.S. dairy products, having purchased about $245 million of these goods last year. Under initial details announced for the trade deal, Edge notes it would get rid of tariffs on more than 99% of American products, including dairy.

Plus, the framework includes commitments to “address and prevent barriers” to U.S. food and agricultural products going to Indonesian buyers, according to the co-op’s statement. That includes exempting these products from Indonesia’s import licensing regimes, recognizing U.S. regulatory oversight and more.

“We are encouraged by the trade framework between the U.S. and Indonesia and what it means for dairy farmers,” Edge’s Board President Heidi Fischer said in a statement. “By improving market access in Indonesia, we hope to see a rise in the global demand for U.S. dairy products.”

See more on the trade deal in an overview from the White House.

— Gov. Tony Evers has petitioned federal officials to have several Wisconsin counties designated as a Historically Underutilized Business Zone, or HUBZone.

Evers yesterday announced he submitted the request to the U.S. Small Business Administration to get a HUBZone designation for Dunn and Waushara counties, and a redesignation for Florence and Sawyer counties as well as four census tracts in Douglas, Grant, Green and Wood counties.

Under the SBA program, businesses in disadvantaged areas can compete for federal set-aside contracts, according to the guv’s release. Small businesses in these areas get “preferential access” to certain federal contracting opportunities. The zones are designated based on economic and population data.

Evers says the designations “will be critically important” to support eligible companies in the state, noting the opportunity for those in rural communities.

“Wisconsin is home to incredible talent, and this HUBZone designation will help level the playing field for small businesses and working families in rural Wisconsin and bring much-needed investments to areas that have long been underserved,” he said.

The petition comes after the SBA earlier this year rejected a request from Evers to make Douglas County eligible for HUBZone designation to support replacing the John A. Blatnik Bridge connecting Superior and Duluth.

See the release.

— Evers has officially launched the Child Care Bridge Payment Program after signing off on $110 million in the state budget to provide monthly aid for child care providers.

Evers’ budget proposal sought to invest $480 million to continue the Child Care Counts program, which the guv created using federal pandemic relief dollars. He later reached a budget deal with Republicans to use the interest generated from Child Care Counts to provide $110 million for the new program instead.

“I declared 2025 the Year of the Kid in Wisconsin, and ensuring this budget made real, meaningful investments directly in child care providers statewide was a nonnegotiable for me,” Evers said in a statement today. “I’m proud our final budget makes this critical investment to continue our work to provide direct support to our state’s child care professionals who go above and beyond to ensure our kids have the high-quality care they need and deserve.”

Some child care providers have opposed the budget deal, arguing the $110 million doesn’t go far enough to help centers stay afloat and prevent increased rates for parents.

One of the providers WisPolitics spoke with for a previous story on child care funding in the state budget, Corrine Hendrickson, has since said she is closing her child care center due to a lack of funding.

See the previous Friday Report story here.

See the release.

— Pillar Health this week opened a new health center in Racine, which CEO Mary Ouimet calls a “major milestone” for improving local care access.

The clinic is currently located in Julian Thomas Elementary School, though it will eventually move to the planned $68 million Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, slated to open next year.

As a federally qualified health center, the facility offers medical and behavioral health services to a community that “lacks sufficient health care services,” according to the announcement. It has a sliding fee discount program that takes into account income and family size.

“We’ve heard directly from the community that they want accessible, trusted, and affordable care closer to home,” Ouimet said in a statement. “That’s exactly what we’re bringing.”

After opening Monday, the center is taking appointments for primary medical care, while behavioral health counseling will be added later this summer. Its website currently shows three medical providers on staff, including family practice Dr. Sharee Chance-Lawson.

Late last year, partners in the planned community center held a groundbreaking in Racine for the project. Pillar Health said at the time it’s expected to open in the third quarter of 2026, and plans to provide health services to more than 24,000 residents through the center.

By December of next year, Pillar Health says it will be offering family medicine, chronic disease management, immunizations, preventive care, various dental services, mental health support such as counseling and substance abuse help, and public health resources.

For now, the company says its current location at the elementary school helps ensure students and their families can access “vital” care without needing to leave the neighborhood.

See the release.

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