Grigsby’s Wisconsin Family Jobs Act Makes 18 from the 18th

Wisconsin Family Jobs Act becomes law, job creating legislation becomes 18^th act authored by 18th Assembly District Representative during landmark session

Madison – Today, State Representative Tamara Grigsby (D-Milwaukee) applauded enactment of Assembly Bill 898, the Wisconsin Family Jobs Act. Governor Doyle signed the act into law during a ceremony at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where a total of three bills authored by Grigsby were signed.

Combined with her other successful bills this session, the signing of these bills capped a highly successful legislative session for the 18^th Assembly District Representative, who saw 18 of her bills become law.

“As a staunch supporter of new jobs and opportunities for business growth, I am incredibly proud to have authored the Wisconsin Family Jobs Act,” Grigsby said following the ceremony.

“This bill will utilize available federal funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, investing them in businesses and employers interested in expanding their enterprises and hiring new employees. This is not only a victory for employers; most importantly, it puts real people in real jobs.”

The Wisconsin Family Jobs Act creates the structure for a subsidized employment program for qualifying Wisconsin residents, resulting in a benefit to employee and employer alike. Under this new law, an employer that hires an eligible participant will receive a wage subsidy that is equal to the amount of wages that the employer pays that employee, up to 40 hours per week at minimum wage for a maximum of six months.

In addition, the Wisconsin Family Jobs Act will remove the current cap on the Transitional Jobs program, eliminating the limit on this important jobs program. Throughout the United States, 26 other states and the District of Columbia have utilized federal dollars to create programs similar to the Wisconsin Family Jobs Act.

“This is a major victory for people in search of new jobs and work experience,” Grigsby said. “This legislation builds on the other job creating successes of this legislative session and moves Wisconsin forward by connecting real people with real work.”

In addition to the Wisconsin Family Jobs Act, Governor Doyle signed two other Grigsby bills. The first, Assembly Bill 780, creates a performance-based contracting system for group homes, residential care centers, and child welfare agencies. The goal of this new payment system is to promote accountability for agency performance by developing performance-based contracting measures that ultimately connect outcomes to agency compensation.

Also signed, Assembly Bill 883 will provide the Milwaukee County Child Welfare Partnership Council with a greater public voice and a stronger, more formal role in determining and implementing child welfare policy in Milwaukee County.

“To see these and other initiatives, some of which I’ve worked on for years, become law is beyond encouraging,” Grigsby said. “So much more must be done, but the progress made during the past session is reason to do even more. We need to keep moving forward and keep fighting to make Wisconsin stronger.”