Dear Friends,

Great news! On Thursday, Governor Scott Walker and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) announced a deal to keep nearly 400 jobs at the Kimberly-Clark Cold Spring facility in Fox Crossing. The jobs were in jeopardy after Democrats failed to support a bill which would have kept those mainly union jobs from leaving for Arkansas.

Kimberly-Clark has a $547.5 million annual impact in their community alone. Many other companies provide $56 million in goods and services to the plant, which also adds to our economy. The company started in Neenah almost 150 years ago and is the Fox Valley’s largest manufacturer.

The deal provides $28 million in tax credits over five years, if Kimberly-Clark keeps all of their 388 employees until 2023. The company must also make $200 million in capital investment at the facility over the next five years. The money isn't guaranteed unless Kimberly-Clark meets those obligations.

The bottom line is: these jobs would be gone without the hard work of Governor Walker and WEDC. His time as governor was transformative for our state. Wisconsin is better off now than it was when he took over, and I am proud to call him a friend.

As always, if you have any concerns or ideas on how to improve our great state, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone at 608-266-5830 or by email at Sen.Darling@legis.wi.gov .

On, Wisconsin!
Another Wisconsin Success Story: Apprenticeships
I often hear from employers that they can't find enough skilled workers to fill the jobs they have available. Thanks to reforms by Republicans and signed into law by Governor Walker, that trend is starting to change.

More and more students are entering into apprenticeships in the construction trades. In fact, Waukesha County Technical College says it is seeing a huge jump in enrollment. That's unusual for our technical colleges. When jobs are plentiful, enrollment at technical colleges usually goes down. Our state's unemployment rate stayed under three percent for the last nine months, but enrollment is up!

I've worked on closing skills gaps for many years. I served on both the BE BOLD and BE BOLD 2 committees. Those bi-partisan committees brought together business leaders, union leaders, job creators, and educators. Those connections helped more students become aware of the opportunities available in the skilled trades.

Republicans followed that up with reforms which helped encourage apprenticeships. A bill I co-authored in 2013 created the Fast Forward program which awards grants and connects employers with potential employees. Last session, I co-authored a bill which eliminated red tape that limited the number of apprentices that a company can hire.

I'm thrilled to see so many students seeking out apprenticeships that will lead to family-supporting careers. Wisconsin is making huge strides in closing the skills gap.
Historical Society Looks to the Future to Stories of the Past
If you follow me on social media, every Wednesday I share a story of Wisconsin's great history. (If you don't, click on the links at the end of this email and follow me!)

There are so many interesting stories and characters from Wisconsin's past, it's not surprising they don't all fit in the current State Historical Museum on the Capitol square in Madison. Click on the video above to see the Historical Society's plan to build a brand new, state-of-the-art facility to make sure our children learn these stories and know that they live in the greatest state in the country!
Happy Birthday to Representative Dan Knodl!
If you see Representative Dan Knodl today, wish him a happy birthday!
Get the Facts
  • Wisconsin ranks second in the nation for non-resident hunting licenses sold and third in the nation for non-resident fishing licenses.
  • Wisconsin ranks second in the nation and best in the Midwest for manufacturing jobs created over the past year.
  • Wisconsin ranks number one in the Midwest for Health Care Access and Patient Safety.
  • Wisconsin's unemployment rate remained at 3% or below for nine consecutive months.
  • Over the last three months, Wisconsin added more manufacturing jobs than any other state.
  • Business Insider ranked Wisconsin's economy as the 10th best in the nation.
  • CNBC ranks Wisconsin as the 17th best state in the nation for business.
  • All 12 of the state's metro areas and all our 32 largest cities have seen a year-over-year drop in unemployment. 
  • The number of people employed in Wisconsin is at an all-time high of 3,090,200, and the unemployment rate is at all-time low at 2.8% for May.
  • Construction wages in Wisconsin are up 7.5% from 2016-2017.
Around the 8th...