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Volume 8, Issue 42, March 2 2026
 Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, Eau Claire, Wis.
Published the first business day of each week
Business Advocate Past Issues
Public Meetings Calendar
Chamber Events Calendar
The Chamber's Advocacy Principles
The Chamber's Business Issues Agenda
"Talking Po!nt" Podcast
How to become a Chamber investor
Contact: Erica Bodden, Director of Advocacy bodden@eauclairechamber.org
Chamber Business Hours: Mon-Thu 7:30a-4:30p, Friday 7:30a-1:30p 

In this issue of the Business Advocate
• City Council President Candidate Forum

• 32nd Annual Chippewa Valley Rally Issues Update

• Altoona approves new home repair program from TID funding

• Wisconsin schools file a lawsuit against Republican-controlled legislature, claiming inadequate funding

• Commonweal releases annual market overview: Office vacancy rate declines, multi-family vacancy rate increases

• While the Assembly is out of session for the year, there is still time to bring few bills across the finish line through the Senate

• Eau Claire City Council begins to tackle fiscal challenges

• US Supreme Court strikes down tariffs

• Food for thought

Note on article links: A subscription is required for those marked with "$"
Publications known to have article limits or other access restrictions for non-subscribers are marked with "+"

Register now...

City Council President Candidate Forum

    Replacing the monthly Eggs and Issues Event for the month of March is the Eau Claire City Council President Candidate Forum. This forum will take place at the CVTC Business Education Center and will be moderated by WEAU to reinforce the Chamber's neutral role. No endorsements will be made and both candidates will adhere to the same set of rules.

   Open to Chamber investors at no cost, the discussion will focus on substantive policy issues impacting the business community and the broader Eau Claire region. To encourage a thoughtful, conversational format, there will be no rebuttal portion, the moderator may ask follow-up questions, and no advance questions or topic categories will be shared.

   The event will be livestreamed by WEAU and recorded for additional distribution by the Chamber. As this is a public forum rather than a campaign event, campaign materials and insignia will not be permitted. 
Event information:

City Council President Candidate Forum

• Wednesday, March 25, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m., Business Education Center at CVTC

   Click here for details and to register

32nd Annual Chippewa Valley Rally Issues Update

   Two weeks ago, business and community leaders from the Chippewa Valley headed down to Madison for the 32nd Annual Chippewa Valley Rally. They spent the day connecting directly with lawmakers at the Capitol. Organized by the Chippewa Valley Chamber Alliance on behalf of the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, Chippewa Falls Chamber of Commerce, and Menomonie Area Chamber of Commerce, the event continues to be one of the most effective ways our region shows up together to speak with a shared voice on the issues that matter most to our businesses and communities.

   The State Senate is still in session and will continue meeting through mid-March, providing the final opportunities for bills to pass both chambers before the regular session concludes. 
Since the Rally:
Here is a link to the Chamber's bill tracking sheet, which provides updates on legislation related to this year's Rally issues.
To summarize: 

• SB-480 which authorizes municipalities to designate Residential Tax Increment Districts (TIDs), passed the Assembly and Senate and is now awaiting the Governor's signature.

• AB-454 which establishes a workforce home loan program passed the Assembly and now awaits Senate action

• AB-283 authorizes refundable business development tax credits to encourage investment in child care programs for employees. This has passed the Assembly and awaits Senate action

More information:
   Click here to see the 2026 Chippewa Valley Rally Issues Book

Local stories...

Wisconsin schools file lawsuit against Republican-controlled legislature for funding

   Earlier this week, a coalition of Wisconsin school districts, teachers' unions, parents, and students, filed a lawsuit in Eau Claire County Circuit Court alleging that the Republican-led Legislature has failed to adequately fund public schools, placing them in a crisis. The complaint argues the state's current funding model leaves high-needs students at a disadvantage and violates the Wisconsin Constitution's guarantee of equal educational opportunity, and it asks the court to adopt a revised school finance system unless the Legislature an governor act first. The case is expected to move through the courts and may ultimately be reviewed by the State Supreme Court. 

Read more...

Wisconsin schools, teachers file lawsuit against GOP-led Legislature seeking more funding (AP)

Parents, educators file lawsuit against Wisconsin lawmakers over school funding (WPR)

Schools, teacher groups sue Wisconsin Legislature over K-12 funding (The Center Square)

Wisconsin school funding unconstitutional according to lawsuit filed by teachers, parents, students  (Wisconsin Examiner)

Wisconsin's state Assembly adjourned without changes to school funding (WPR)

Brewer: Real target of Wisconsin school funding lawsuit is school choice (The Center Square)

Virtual charter schools draw in thousands (The Cap Times)

Madison schools begin work on budget; pay hikes included (The Center Square)

Other Legislative coverage...

Wisconsin Assembly is done legislating for the year. Here’s what lawmakers did and what’s unfinished. (Wisconsin Watch)

Report: State Tax Burden & Ranking Remain Low (Wisconsin Policy Forum)

Wisconsin keeps below-average ranking in state, local tax burden (Journal-Sentinel +)

Wisconsin ranked among states with the highest property taxes (Journal-Sentinel +)

Report: Funding the First Years and Beyond: State and Local Options to Raise

Revenue for Child Care (Wisconsin Policy Forum)

New Marquette Law School Poll finds large majorities of Wisconsin voters undecided on candidates for state Supreme Court, governor (Marquette Law School)

Marquette poll takeaways: Trump approval rating, data centers and more (Journal-Sentinel +)

Does Wisconsin have more registered voters than adults? (Journal-Sentinel +)

Groups challenging Line 5 pipeline include Madison-based law firm (The Cap Times)

Snowy season boosts northern Wisconsin tourism, but winters are becoming unreliable (WPR)

Green Bay looks to bolster house rules, enforcement of short-term rentals (Green

Bay Press Gazette +)

Q4 2025 FDIC Numbers Illustrate the Resiliency of Wisconsin’s Banks (Wisconsin Bankers Assn)

Homeless students’ safety net has gaps, Dane County panelists say (The Cap Times)

Senate passes bipartisan bill to fund WisconsinEye (AP)

Republicans send '400-year veto' constitutional amendment to voters (WPR)

Wisconsin Assembly passes postpartum Medicaid expansion, breast cancer prevention bills (WPR)

After more than two years, Assembly passes PFAS mitigation bills (Wisconsin Examiner)

'Gail's law' breast cancer screening bill passes unanimously (Journal-Sentinel +)

‘The year of housing’: Milwaukee leaders celebrate more than 3,000 new homeowners (Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

City of Altoona approves home repair program for low-income households (Leader-Telegram $)

Pablo event celebrates workforce-building partnerships (UWEC)

UWEC grads connect to local businesses (Leader-Telegram $)

UW-Stout: Career-connected learning: SkillsUSA brings nearly 400 middle, high schools students to UW-Stout (WisBusiness)

Politico Highlights Eau Claire As Community With Most Voter Impact (Volume One)

New research shows this western Wisconsin zip code 54703 has the most 'Voter

Impact' in the country (KARE 11)

Find the impact of your Zip Code (Power Moves)

 

Food for thought...

Will Wisconsin maintain 8 congressional districts? (Craig Gilbert, Journal-Sentinel +) Losing another House seat would have a lot of spin-off effects for Wisconsin. But most dramatically, it would scramble the state’s congressional lines.

Suck it up, Wisconsin, we need data centers (Bryce Chinault, The Cap Times) Data centers are not a bogeyman. They are part of the foundation for today’s economy and a more prosperous future. Data centers are infrastructure. Just like grain elevators. Just like paper mills.

Wisconsin doesn't need Trump running our elections (Tom Barrett, Scott Klug, Mike Tate and JB Van Hollen, Journal-Sentinel +) Wisconsin elections should be run by the citizens of Wisconsin, not bureaucrats in Washington who have no stake in our communities.

Wisconsin sets apprenticeship record for fourth year in a row (WPR)

Can large data centers become a softer sell? (InBusiness Madison)

Data centers and Wisconsin's 2026 candidates for governor (PBS Wisconsin)

Data center growth goes full steam ahead across the US (Route Fifty)

Wisconsin hasn't raised its minimum wage for 17 years. What does that mean for workers and the economy? (Hongyu Liu, Wisconsin Watch) Minimum-wage workers in 19 states saw their paychecks increase this year. But Wisconsin hasn't changed its minimum wage -- just $7.25 per hour -- for 17 years, shrinking the buying power of the lowest-earning workers.

Wisconsin's Utility Energy Crisis (Isaiah Ness, Urban Milwaukee) Data centers, artificial intelligence and fossil fuels dominated headlines in 2025. Across the United States, more than $350 billion was invested in AI and data-center infrastructure, with tens of billions of dollars proposed in Wisconsin. Investment and economic development are often framed as unequivocal wins, but energy infrastructure is different. If built without foresight, the consequences will reshape the future.