The governor has finally connected the dots and acknowledged there is a workforce crisis in our state. Since his one-size-fits-all emergency order, employers have struggled for over a year to stay open and find workers. Now, 500 days later, he finally acknowledges the dire challenges small businesses are facing.

This is a year-long pattern of failed leadership in managing the UI disaster for displaced workers throughout 2020 and now desperate employers fighting for survival.

Governor Tony Evers recently vetoed Republican-led efforts to address the workforce crisis with legislation that would have ended state participation in the enhanced federal unemployment bonus payments of $300 per week.

Republicans proposed a fix to the workforce shortage crisis that would have saved taxpayers funds and rapidly helped solve the problem. Now two weeks after vetoing our bill, Governor Evers predictably chose a path that spends more money, takes more time, and grows government.

This continues Governor Evers’ long pattern of failed leadership in managing Wisconsin’s unemployment challenges – first for displaced workers throughout 2020 and now desperate employers struggling to find willing workers.

The governor has a personal piggy bank of federal COVID stimulus dollars and thinks by spending $130 million on even more government programs that will be enough incentive to get people to come back to work. We already have many programs in place to help people get back in the workforce; this workforce shortage is a problem created by government, not solved by it. We need to remove the clear barriers preventing people from a full return to work before more Wisconsin businesses are lost forever.