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Tourism REBOUND
State tourism officials say the state’s tourism revenue has made a turnaround
The J-1 visa program is rebounding after essentially shutting down because of the pandemic, boosting a major employment lifeline for summer tourism hot spots like Wisconsin Dells and Door County.
“We’re going to be better than 100 percent of where we were in 2019,” Tom Diehl, president and co-owner of Tommy Bartlett Inc., said on WISN’s “UpFront.” “So we shouldn’t have the problem that we’ve had as a community.”
The latest data from the U.S. State Department shows the Wisconsin Dells area is expecting 2,972 international students for summer work, while Door County expects 421.
Diehl said without the J-1 labor force, Wisconsin Dells’ employment levels can’t top 70 percent of what is needed.
Typically, Wisconsin Dells sees a major influx of Ukrainian students, but it won’t this year given the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“This year I don’t think we’ll have 10,” Diehl said. “They’re wonderful people and work hard. They felt comfortable here because there were enough people that spoke their language, and so it’s a real travesty.”
Romy Snyder, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Dells Visitors and Convention Bureau, says reservations are on pace to be higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
“Early last year we already started seeing pent-up demand just for wanting to get out, get back with family and friends,” Snyder said. “Wisconsin Dells is geographically located between Chicago, and Minneapolis, easy access off the interstate, so we’re a very natural family reunion destination, and we are seeing that same level of demand this year as well.”
GOP activist activity at alltime high, state chair says
State party Chair Paul Farrow says the engagement he’s seeing from the grassroots is unlike anything he’s seen before.
It’s just some of them have forgotten all the conservative priorities GOP lawmakers delivered on pre-2016.
There’s been noticeable grumbling among some GOP activists over the last couple of years about the “establishment” and “Madison Republicans” over things that range from election integrity to the party’s endorsement process in statewide races.
Farrow told WisPolitics.com in a new interview previewing this weekend’s state convention that many of those frustrated with the party didn’t get active until 2016, when Donald Trump was on the ballot for the first time. They’ve also forgotten things like Act 10, right-to-work, concealed carry and photo ID that got done before they got active.
So Farrow has to remind them of what Republicans were able to do when they had the East Wing and why they’re unable to do more with Dem Tony Evers in the guv’s office.
“They realize that it’s not as much as we screwed something up as we’re now playing the blockers. We have a governor who doesn’t agree with how we want to get things done,” Farrow said.
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Leaked abortion ruling will drive turnout on both sides
Political strategists during a WisPolitics. com event argued discussions on overturning Roe v. Wade could drive more voters to the polls from both sides of the aisle.
Democratic strategist Tanya Bjork at the Madison Club luncheon Thursday said the expected U.S. Supreme Court move to overturn the federal ruling that could bring back Wisconsin’s 1849 criminal ban on abortions may energize more Dem voters to turn out. But Republican strategist Keith Gilkes of Platform Communications argued a possible abortion ban or, at least restrictions, could also drive to the polls Republicans who have been advocating against abortion access.
Gilkes added the issue may motivate more undecided voters to turn out, something he says any candidate will need to recognize to win in a state with nearly evenly split partisan voting bases.
“There’s a swath that tend to be social conservatives who are disillusioned about leadership within the Republican Party,” he said. “And in this instance there’s an opportunity for them to go out and support a candidate.”
Bjork argued talk of overturning Roe would be a boon for Dems as Marquette University Law School Poll data shows a majority of Wisconsinites support keeping the current federal protections for abortion access.
Vos calls for reconsideration of UW Chancellor
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos called the choice of UCLA Law School Dean Dr. Jennifer Mnookin as UW-Madison chancellor a “blatant partisan selection” and urged the Board of Regents to reconsider her appointment.
The UW System on Monday announced the Board of Regents had unanimously chosen Mnookin, who replaces Rebecca Blank as leader of the system’s flagship campus.
Vos, R-Rochester, slammed the pick and called the decision “a step backwards” in the university’s relationship with the Legislature.
“After all the work of Tommy Thompson and Rebecca Blank that attempted to strengthen relationships between the university and the Legislature, this is a step backwards,” Vos said. “I strongly hope the Board of Regents will reconsider their selection.”
UW System Director of Media Relations Mark Pitsch noted to WisPolitics.com that Mnookin was chosen unanimously by the regents. The board currently includes 11 appointees of Dem Gov. Tony Evers and five by former GOP Gov. Scott Walker. The other two members serve on the board because of their positions: state Superintendent Jill Underly and Rodney Pasch, president of the Tech College System Board.
In response to Vos’ release, Mnookin told WisPolitics.com she hadn’t met Vos, but looked forward to doing so.
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