TUE AM News: Wied touting bill to regulate labeling of ‘lab-made’ butter; Evers requesting SBA disaster designation

June 23, 2026

— U.S. Rep. Tony Wied has rolled out legislation that would establish labeling requirements for lab-made butter products to address what he calls “an attack on American farmers.”

Wied, a Republican who represents the state’s 8th CD, recently announced details for the Recognizing Engineered Alternatives as Lab-Created, or REAL Butter Act.

Wied’s office says the bill would “promote transparency, protect consumer choice, and support Wisconsin dairy farmers” by ensuring consumers know what they’re buying. Under the legislation, butter products made in a lab would have to be labeled as such to distinguish them from traditional dairy products.

“America’s dairy farmers put in the work every day to keep our families fed, our rural communities strong, and our agricultural heritage alive,” his office said in a release. “They should not have to compete with products that hide behind vague or misleading labels.”

The announcement references an effort in Illinois to develop lab-grown butter from carbon dioxide rather than cow’s milk, noting it’s backed by Bill Gates, a frequent target of Republican criticism.

Wied’s office says this “fake butter made from thin air” represents an assault on U.S. farmers, the dairy industry and the Trump administration itself given its support for butter’s health benefits in new dietary guidelines.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is calling for “evangelizing real food” in the new guidelines, pointing to whole milk and full-fat dairy products as preferred options.

While the administration’s stance has faced criticism by health advocates for over-emphasizing the importance of protein, the issue of product labeling for dairy substitutes is getting bipartisan attention among Wisconsin’s federal lawmakers.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin last year helped introduce the DAIRY PRIDE Act of 2025, seeking to “crack down on the unfair practice” of labeling non-dairy products with dairy names such as milk, cheese and yogurt.

The Madison Dem has previously said imitation products made from nuts and plants have “ridden the coattails of our dairy farmers and gotten away with using dairy’s good name” without meeting the same nutritional standards.

— Gov. Tony Evers is requesting an official disaster declaration for areas affected by storms and flooding in April, seeking to unlock low-interest federal disaster loans for residents and businesses.

Evers yesterday sent a letter to the U.S. Small Business Administration asking the federal agency for a Rapid Disaster Declaration for Marathon, Rock, Vernon and Waupaca counties and surrounding areas.

If the request is approved, SBA loans would become available for impacted businesses and residents in those four counties, as well as 20 other counties that border them, according to details from the guv’s office.

The letter references “significant damage” from severe weather in mid-April, impacting both homes and businesses in the area. It cites joint damage assessments done by the SBA and FEMA as well as state and local officials, noting at least 25 homes and/or businesses had uninsured losses of at least 40% of the estimated replacement cost.

The latest appeal comes after the state in May requested a presidential disaster declaration for the four impacted counties. Evers’ letter says FEMA has yet to make a decision on that earlier request, and the Trump administration has not responded.

See the release.

— WRR Environmental Services Co. will pay $325,000 through two settlements with the state DOJ after allegedly violating air pollution laws, in addition to spending about $925,000 on required facility upgrades and audits.

The state Department of Justice yesterday announced the settlements with the Eau Claire business, which operates a hazardous waste storage and processing facility. They resolve civil environmental enforcement actions against the company, which followed allegations that the company operated the facility without a pollution control permit from the DNR.

The company also allegedly exceeded annual emission thresholds for an industrial chemical solvent called perchloroethylene, while “failing to properly calculate” emissions from the site.

DOJ says WRR allegedly broke hazardous waste laws by not properly maintaining and operating containment systems, failing to document facility inspections and storing incompatible waste together. The last of these alleged violations led to a fire, resulting in harmful chlorine gases being improperly emitted.

Under the settlements, which were signed last week, the company will pay the $325,000 fine while also replacing an existing air pollution control device and reroute storage tank emissions into a new system. This is expected to reduce volatile organic compound emissions from the site by 4.2 tons annually.

Meanwhile, the company is required to hire a third-party environmental consulting firm to audit and confirm its air emissions figures through 2030.

The business didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the settlements.

See the release.

— The Medical College of Wisconsin announced a $27 million donation from Tim and Barbara Michels and the Michels Family Foundation, funding precision cancer research.

This represents the largest personal gift ever made to the college’s MCW Cancer Center, according to yesterday’s announcement. Its new research center will be named the Medical College of Wisconsin Michels Center for Cancer Discovery in recognition of the donation. The 161,000-square-foot facility opened last summer.

The funding will support oncology talent recruitment, technical infrastructure investment to advance cancer research, training cancer scientists and entrepreneurs working in this space, as well as boosting access to cancer prevention and detection.

“Our family knows firsthand what it means to face a rare cancer diagnosis with few treatment options, and even fewer answers,” the Michels said in a statement. “We’re investing in the Medical College of Wisconsin because we believe in their extraordinary scientists and physicians to turn today’s breakthrough cancer discoveries into tomorrow’s cures.”

Their daughter, Sophie, is a cancer survivor. She was diagnosed at age 11 in 2012 with a rare pediatric brain cancer called choroid plexus carcinoma, but is now “healthy and thriving,” according to MCW.

Dr. John Raymond, president and CEO of MCW, praised the Michels family’s “remarkable kindness” and said their gift will help save countless lives by supporting cutting-edge cancer research.

“Cancer is one of the toughest health challenges we face,” he said. “The Michels’ transformational investment ensures groundbreaking cancer discoveries can move quickly from our scientists’ labs to a patient’s bedside.”

Tim Michels is the co-owner of Brownsville-based Michels Corporation. He ran for governor in 2022 as a Republican but lost to Dem Gov. Tony Evers.

See the release.

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