TUE AM News: Talking Trade with Susan Meyer, Norwegian honorary consul for Illinois and Wisconsin; Assembly Dems plan to introduce bill to legalize marijuana

February 3, 2026

— The latest episode of “Talking Trade” is with Susan Meyer, Norwegian honorary consul for Illinois and Wisconsin.

Meyer, who’s also a partner at the law firm UB Greensfelder in Chicago, discusses ties between Nordic countries and the Midwest and calls for more collaboration between the regions.

Along with the existing Norwegian community in Wisconsin, she points to Swedish and Danish heritage in nearby Illinois.

“We already know each other, so now is the time to leverage those cultural connections to drive strategic growth,” she said. “Wisconsin, for instance, has a lot of manufacturing, skilled labor, logistics, of course as well as being centrally located. While Nordic technology, automation and capital can compliment and support local manufacturing facilities.”

Meyer says Norway and other nearby countries are very interested in exporting physical products to the United States, as well as entertainment and other cultural assets.

The discussion also explores intellectual property considerations for international trade, hurdles around using trademarks elsewhere that were established in a given country, and differences in patent regulations.

“So where industrial designs are protected in the EU, we don’t recognize those in the United States,” she said. “We do have design patents, but they’re not enforced in the same way.”

Meyer highlights her work with the organization Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global, supporting women-owned businesses. She serves as an intellectual property advisor to the group and holds a position on its board.

“The idea is that you bring together industry leaders, business owners, supporting experts … This creates a valuable ecosystem, support, inspiration and expertise, in WEG’s case to help wojmen grow their businesses,” she said. “But the advice I would give to all business owners … is no matter what stage you’re in, activate your network. Ask for help.”

Talking Trade is hosted by E.M Wasylik Associates Managing Director Ken Wasylik and M.E. Dey & Co. President and Managing Director Sandi Siegel.

Watch the full episode here.

“Talking Trade” is now available in audio form on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. Subscribe and find more episodes here.

— Assembly Democrats say they will introduce legislation to fully legalize recreational marijuana in Wisconsin.

Rep. Darrin Madison, D-Milwaukee, said the bill would include “fully legalized cannabis for responsible adult use,” including a medical cannabis program.

“Legalizing cannabis in Wisconsin is an economic necessity, a public safety strategy and a racial justice imperative,” Madison said.

He said the bill would include provisions to expunge the criminal records of some people convicted on cannabis-related charges.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has repeatedly rejected calls to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. The speaker’s office and other Republicans didn’t immediately return calls for comment.

On the question of licensing, Rep. Andrew Hysell, D-Sun Prairie, said there would be “certain limitations in terms of qualifications” for cannabis distributors but did not provide further details.

The bill is the first proposal this session that seeks to regulate not just the hemp-derived THC products already sold in Wisconsin under the “hemp loophole” that allows for the sale of intoxicating hemp products but also marijuana, which is legally distinct and currently illegal under state law.

Speaking after the presser yesterday, Madison explained the more expansive legalization push by pointing out that most hemp producers would be marijuana growers if not for the loophole. He said the regulatory framework could help protect consumers from unregulated cannabis products that are still sold illegally in Wisconsin.

The 2018 farm bill removed hemp from the list of controlled substances, a move that was hailed at the time as a way to provide farmers a new crop that could be used in products such as paper and clothing. But it also opened the door to products with low doses of THC, such as gummies and beverages. President Donald Trump signed legislation in late 2025 that bans the “unregulated sale of intoxicating hemp-based or hemp-derived products” in one year.

Lawmakers have proposed several bills this session on hemp, including: a GOP-authored push to bar the sale of hemp-derived THC products; a bipartisan bill pushing for a three-tiered system for hemp manufacturers, distributors and retailers akin to state alcohol regulations; and separate Dem and GOP proposals barring sales to individuals under the age of 21.

Madison said Dems had been in talks with GOP lawmakers about their legalization push but did not have Republican co-signers at this time.

— Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin says it’s the first health care organization in the world to implement Epic’s new AI charting tool.

The Verona-based electronic health records company’s AI tool can draft notes while listening to in-person or virtual visits, reducing the need for providers to write up documentation while they’re with a patient.

The new tool was developed “side-by-side” with clinicians at the co-op, according to Corey Miller, Epic’s vice president of research and development.

Dr. Chris Kastman, chief medical officer at GHC-SCW, says the Epic AI Charting tool is “a powerful example of how technology should enhance, not replace, human connection in health care.” Other providers at the health co-op say it’s saving them time and helping them better connect with their patients.

See the release.

Top headlines from the Health Care Report…

— State health officials have identified a case of the measles in Dane County, marking Wisconsin’s second confirmed case this year.

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.

Sign up here.

— A new research effort at the University of North Florida is using an “atmospheric water generator” developed by Madison-based Therma-Stor.

The company’s Origen Wellspring 100 machine produces drinkable water by pulling moisture from the air. Researchers at the university’s JEA Sustainable Solutions Lab will collect data on the technology over the next six months, assessing its efficiency and reliability.

Walt Waetjen is director of product development at Origen, one of Therma-Stor’s product brands. He says the Wellspring 100 technology “represents the idea that clean water does not have to depend on pipelines, trucks, desalination, depleted aquifers, or forever chemicals.”

The technology can generate water using 0.25 kilowatt-hour per liter with a trademarked thermal recycling system, which the company says is 40% more efficient than “legacy” atmospheric water generators.

Funding for the project comes from a Florida company called Captiva Verde Corporation, which aims to develop atmospheric water stations in the state, according to the announcement.

See the release and see more on the technology here.

— Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski is pushing for a change in state law that would allow municipalities to mandate that sprinklers be installed in older apartment buildings. But he acknowledged the change is unlikely.

“I’m optimistic that people are at least talking about it,” Lipski told WISN 12’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “Am I optimistic that ends up in some big victory? I’d be lying if I said I am. I’m not optimistic about it, but we have to keep the conversation going.”

Current law requires multifamily buildings built after 1974 to have sprinklers, but a majority of buildings in Milwaukee were built before that.

Democratic state Sen. LaTonya Johnson introduced legislation to allow municipalities to set their own regulations, but the bill has gone nowhere.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos recently said he opposed the legislation, saying, “People are worried about the price of rent. The ability to go back and say to the landlord, ‘You’re not going to be able to raise rates, but you’re going to have to put all this new equipment.’ Well, that’s not free, so either the landlord eats it, which is not realistic because they want to invest in their building, or the tenant has to pay higher rents. So, that’s the free market.”

Vos is a landlord.

“Let me start out by saying I have a tremendous amount of respect for Speaker Vos,” Lipski said in response. “You heard right there, the affordable housing, right? And why is it that fire suppression and fire safety takes a backseat to all the other concerns all the time? Why is it that us attempting to just have a conversation about this is met with vociferous opposition from the most powerful man in our state government? How is that possible?”

See more from the show.

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