TUE AM News: Evers signs bipartisan compromise on PFAS into law; Wisconsin Agri-Business Association applauding newly signed legislation

April 7, 2026

— Gov. Tony Evers has signed into law a bipartisan compromise to combat PFAS contamination, capping a yearslong standoff with the Legislature and opening the door for new aid for Wisconsinites tackling the “forever chemicals.”

Evers and lawmakers have been working toward a compromise on PFAS since the Legislature first set aside $125 million in the 2023-25 budget in a “PFAS trust fund.” Last session, Evers vetoed a GOP proposal over concerns it wouldn’t hold polluters accountable.

Since then, the pot of money has grown to $133 million due to interest that accumulated as it sat unused.

At yesterday’s state Capitol bill signing, Evers thanked DNR Secretary Karen Hyun and DNR staff for their “extraordinary persistence” and bill co-authors Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Gillett, and Rep. Jeff Mursau, R-Crivitz, for “their willingness to work in good faith.” Hyun, Wimberger and Mursau all attended the bill signing.

“Don’t let anybody think that doing something in a bipartisan way is weak and not worth the effort. It is worth the effort, we’re talking about people’s lives here,” Evers said after signing the bills.

The guv and lawmakers had clashed over protections for “innocent landowners,” those who didn’t create the pollution but have the contamination on their property, and DNR authority to address contamination before reaching a deal.

The package signed into law includes protections to ensure farmers, landowners, certain business owners and fire departments aren’t held responsible for contamination they didn’t cause.

Wimberger in a statement hailed the bills’ signing.

“At the heart of our reforms is an idea: the State should not treat landowners who discover PFAS contamination on their property like polluters. Through meetings and negotiations, that idea transformed into real policy that will protect innocent victims of PFAS across Wisconsin from unfair state action,” Wimberger said.

Some of the provisions in the package, Wisconsin Act 200 and 201, according to Evers’ office include:

About $80 million for a community grant program to help local governments combat and remediate PFAS contamination;
$5.25 million for a grant program to help public airports and certain businesses fight PFAS contamination;
$35 million for an expansion of the Well Compensation Grant program to help protect private well owners’ drinking water from contamination; and
10 new DNR positions and $1.3 million for the agency, including: $118,900 for program operations related to conservation, the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, state fishery resources management and the trapper education program; $929,900 for management and protection of state water resources and environmental quality and management; and $261,600 for communications, customer services, aids administration, watershed management and environmental analysis and sustainability.

The package also allocates funding to provide emergency bottled water for private well owners and for PFAS-related research and sampling.

— The Wisconsin Agri-Business Association says a new permit for transporting heavy loads of certain ag goods in the state will be “a huge benefit” to its members.

The group is applauding Gov. Tony Evers for signing into law AB 679, which authorizes the state Department of Transportation to issue $325 overweight permits to transport grain, commercial feed or bulk fertilizer on designated routes.

While the association is touting the impact for the state’s ag supply chain — including lower transportation costs and greater efficiency — the guv’s office points to the reduced vehicle emissions, lower fuel costs and less pressure on “overworked” truck drivers.

Grace Howe, executive director for the WABA, says the new permit will ensure that “Wisconsin agriculture can finally compete with neighboring states on weight limits.”

Meanwhile, the group is also cheering the passage of SB 783, which Evers also recently signed into law. It expands eligibility under the state’s Commercial Driver Training Grant program, opening up grants to applicants that pay for a third-party provider to deliver qualifying training, a release from the guv’s office shows. It also creates more flexibility for some training arrangements.

The WABA says the changes will help grow the state’s workforce of commercial drivers, directly benefitting its transportation-dependent industry.

See the group’s release.

— U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and other Dem lawmakers are urging President Donald Trump to “stay the course” and keep Chinese automakers from building and selling vehicles in the United States.

The Madison Dem joined fellow Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York and Elissa Slotkin of Michigain in a letter to Trump, which was prompted by the president reportedly saying “let China come in” during the Detroit Economic Forum earlier this year.

They argue those comments indicate Trump would welcome Chinese car companies “setting up shop” domestically, warning such a move would “have far-reaching consequences” for national security and the economy.

“We must be clear-eyed that inviting China’s automakers to set up shop in the United States would confer an insurmountable economic advantage impossible for American automakers to overcome, and it would trigger a national security crisis that could never be reversed,” the lawmakers wrote.

They argued automakers from China don’t compete on an even playing field, noting the country’s manufacturing strategy seeks global market dominance through “exploitative and non-market practices” such as repressing independent labor unions, low wages and “nightmarish” working conditions.

See the full text of the letter in the release.

— Milwaukee’s Baird Center was ranked among the top 100 convention centers in the world by Travel And Tour World, which spotlights the facility as a “key regional convention hub.”

The publication put the Baird Center at No. 96 on the list, noting it’s used for major Wisconsin industries such as manufacturing, health care and educaiton.

The downtown Milwaukee convention center boasts “strong urban connectivity,” connecting visitors to Wisconsin’s largest city with hotels and business districts, according to an overview included in the report.

Authors note the center’s flexible, column-free halls and modular layouts “allow efficient hosting” for trade shows and conferences.

“The venue is known for operational efficiency and mid-to-large-scale event capability,” they wrote. “Sustainability initiatives, including energy-efficient systems, further enhance its appeal.”

No other venues in Wisconsin made the list.

See all ranked convention centers in the release.

— The Wisconsin Safety Council has named nine winners of its annual Workplace Safety Awards, recognizing businesses for “outstanding achievement” in this area.

The council yesterday announced the winners of the 32nd annual awards, which will be presented at its annual conference in the Wisconsin Dells, taking place April 13-15.

Awardees were evaluated based on company safety records, training programs, safety and health leadership and other factors.

The council selected five companies in the manufacturing category: Hydrite Chemical Co., based in La Crosse; Land O’Lakes, Inc. in Kiel; Milwaukee-based Charter Wire LLC; Custom Fabricating & Repair, Inc., of Marshfield; and Sargento in Plymouth.

Two businesses were awarded in the construction industry: Great Lakes Roofing Corporation of Germantown and JP Cullen in Janesville.

Meanwhile, two more winners were grouped into a broader category, covering transportation, utilities, agriculture and more: Quad in Franklin and Colony Brands Inc. in Monroe.

See the release.

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