WED AM News: GOP bill would bar foreign adversaries from acquiring ag, forestry land in WI; SHINE providing key technology for UK fusion energy effort

— Republican lawmakers are circulating a bill that would prohibit foreign adversaries from acquiring ag or forestry land in Wisconsin.

Sen. Andre Jacque, R-De Pere, along with Reps. William Penterman, R-Hustisford, and Elijah Behnke, R-Town of Chase, recently sent a co-sponsorship memo to other lawmakers seeking support for the legislation. 

They point to bipartisan concerns around the issue of foreign ownership of U.S. farmland, noting it has “nearly doubled” over the past decade. In Wisconsin alone, foreign agricultural interests now own more than 500,000 acres of land in the state, according to the memo, which notes that figure has been increasing by tens of thousands of acres every year.  

Under current state law, foreign companies or individuals are barred from owning more than 640 acres of agricultural or forestry land, the memo shows. 

But the lawmakers say they’re particularly concerned around land acquisitions by foreign interests “that have repeatedly demonstrated hostility toward our country,” threatened supply chain disruption and military espionage, violated human rights, breached intellectual property and more. 

Plus, foreign land ownership restrictions currently don’t distinguish between countries whose governments are “friendly or adversarial” with the United States, authors note. 

“Recent economic disruptions and skyrocketing inflation clearly demonstrate the need to localize supply chains, especially for food and medicine, and to eliminate our reliance on entities based in — and scheming with — countries with hostile governments,” the lawmakers wrote. 

Their bill would hinge on determinations made by the federal secretary of Commerce about which entities are deemed foreign adversaries, the memo shows, covering both foreign governments or a nongovernment person “that has demonstrated a long-term pattern of conduct harmful to the national security of the United States and its people.” 

The lawmakers point to a similar state law enacted in Virginia in 2023, which banned such land acquisitions by foreign adversaries, specifically naming China, Russia, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Venezuela. 

The co-sponsorship deadline is 5 p.m. Wednesday. 

See the memo

— SHINE Technologies will be providing a key piece of technology for a fusion energy development program of the UK Atomic Energy Authority, the Janesville business announced. 

The company yesterday said it’s expected to provide a deuterium-tritium fusion system in 2027 for the authority’s Lithium Breeding Tritium Innovation program, or LIBRTI. The $246 million project aims to advance the field of fusion fuel and stimulate “general industry capacity” on the international stage. 

The four-year project aims to demonstrate a process called “controlled tritium breeding,” which is “critical” for future fusion power plant development, according to the announcement. This process produces a radioactive hydrogen isotope called tritium that’s not found in nature, which would be used to fuel a nuclear fusion plant’s reactors. 

SHINE’s neutron source machine, which will be purchased by the UKAEA, will “form the backbone of a first-of-a-kind testbed facility” planned in England. The device will enable scientists with the LIBRTI program to experiment with a range of materials and engineering configurations as they seek to develop models for the fusion energy systems being explored. 

Greg Piefer, CEO of SHINE Technologies, says the partnership with the UK-based program is “a key milestone” for fusion energy. 

“We’re excited to work with UKAEA to develop next-generation fusion solutions to help pave the way to clean, abundant energy,” he said in a statement. 

See the release and see more at Madison Startups.

— The latest Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce survey finds 88% of respondents with employer-sponsored health plans expect their health care costs to rise this year. 

Of those predicting higher health care costs, 14% expect costs to rise 1-5%; 61% expect them to rise 6-10%; 20% expect an increase of 11-20%; 4% expect an increase of 21-30%; and 1% expect an increase of 30% or more. 

WMC found health care costs are tied for the top public policy issue facing Wisconsin businesses, according to respondents, along with the labor shortage or a lack of qualified job applicants. 

And when asked what the state government could do to help their business, 41% of respondents pointed to making health care more affordable. 

Scott Manley, executive vice president of government relations for WMC, says the state’s business community has serious concerns about “extreme” health care costs. 

“These costs are not only a competitive disadvantage, as they dip into employee compensation, investment opportunities, and more, but they also hurt Wisconsin families,” he said in the survey report. 

WMC’s winter survey, conducted by email and traditional mail in December, included 153 executives at companies of all sizes from across the state. 

See the report

— An endowment of the Medical College of Wisconsin has announced $3.9 million in funding for 66 projects happening this year. 

The Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment is funding these projects with grants of up to $50,000 each, according to yesterday’s release. Each was selected through a competitive application process after getting the approval of the endowment’s oversight bodies, including the MCW Board of Trustees. 

Funding is going toward 21 community-led projects, 32 projects led by college faculty and 13 projects headed up by post-doctoral researchers at MCW under the supervision of faculty. 

The community-led projects getting AHW Seed Grants include MCW faculty collaboration, and span 35 counties in Wisconsin. Eight of them are statewide, the release shows. Projects range from expanding mental health services and healthy food access to suicide prevention, refugee and immigrant integration efforts, maternal and child health and more. 

“This latest round of Seed Grant funding further demonstrates the successful formula we’ve used throughout our 20-year history to propel the best ideas for maximizing the health of our friends and neighbors throughout the state and beyond,” said Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld, the endowment’s director. 

Meanwhile, MCW-based projects backed by the grant funding are focused on cancer, the diagnosis and treatment of opioid addiction, injuries to the brain and spinal cord, liver disease, Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy. 

See details on funded projects here

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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— Wisconsin is expected to get about $1.6 million through a recently announced multi-state enforcement action against Block Inc., a California business with a mobile payment application. 

The state Department of Financial Institutions recently announced the company has signed an $80 million settlement with state agencies.

A DFI spokesperson yesterday provided updated details on Wisconsin’s share of the payout. 

See more in the release

TOP STORIES
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TOPICS

BANKING 

– First Federal Bank of Wisconsin names new president 

EDUCATION 

– Wisconsin GOP proposal would undo new DPI state testing benchmarks 

ENVIRONMENT 

– New law addresses climate extremes, flooding along Mississippi River 

FINANCIAL SERVICES 

– Badger Mutual and Rural Mutual finalize affiliation agreement 

HEALTH CARE 

– During ‘Dry January,’ links between alcohol and cancer highlight calls for change in Wisconsin 

INVESTING 

– A Wauwatosa company’s Series C funding round was one of the top in the state 

– New Beloit-based VC fund receives investment from Badger Fund of Funds 

LABOR 

– Orbis Corp to close Menasha facility, lay off 109 employees. Here is what we know so far 

MANAGEMENT 

– Johnson Controls shuffles executive roles amid CEO search 

– Kunes affiliate names new COO 

POLITICS 

– Dane County legislative working group leaves Republicans out

REAL ESTATE 

– Funding for $5M Grunau Memorial Plaza near Deer District advances 

RETAIL 

– Kohl’s appoints third CEO in 3 years as sales continue to decline for Wisconsin chain 

TOURISM 

– Jason Aldean’s Full Throttle Tour headed to the Resch Center 

PRESS RELEASES

See these and other press releases 

Generac Power Systems: Unveils the most powerful air-cooled home standby generator on the market

Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment: Awards $3.9 million for 66 health improvement projects

Dairy Business Association: Recognizes Duane Ducat with Community Outreach Award