Here & Now

Rep. Ed Brooks Explains Rural Wisconsin Initiative

SAYING THEIR COMMUNITIES ARE CAUGHT IN A DOWNWARD SPIRAL OF DECREASING VITALITY DUE TO LOSS OF POPULATION AND LACK OF SERVICES, A COALITION OF 21 REPUBLICAN OUTSTATE LEGISLATORS IS INTRODUCING A RAFT OF BILLS CALLED “THE RURAL WISCONSIN INITIATIVE.” THE SEVEN BILLS INCLUDE EXPANSION OF BROADBAND GRANTS, LOAN REPAYMENT FOR TEACHERS AND COLLEGE GRADUATES WHO RELOCATE TO WISCONSIN, EXPANSION OF THE RURAL PHYSICIAN RESIDENCY PROGRAM, NEW STEM GRANTS FOR RURAL SCHOOLS AND EXPANSION OF YOUTH APPRENTICE AND APPRENTICE REIMBURSEMENT TUITION GRANTS. IT’S AN AMBITIOUS PLAN. HERE TO TALK ABOUT IT IS ONE OF THE LEAD SPONSORS OF THE INTIATIVE REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE ED BROOKS OF REEDSBURG. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

ED BROOKS:

YOU’RE WELCOME. GLAD TO BE HERE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

NOW, YOU SAY THAT THIS INITIATIVE IS DESIGNED TO BRIDGE THE URBAN-RURAL GAP. IS THE SENSE THAT THE CITIES ARE GETTING ALL THE RESOURCES?

ED BROOKS:

NOT SO MUCH THAT THEY’RE GETTING ALL THE RESOURCES, BUT THEY HAVE AN IN MIGRATION PROBLEM TO THE CITIES AND WE HAVE AN OUT MIGRATION PROBLEM IN THE RURAL AREAS. TOO MANY OF OUR PEOPLE ARE LEAVING BECAUSE THEY THINK THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES IN URBAN AREAS. THE GIST OF THE GROUP OF BILLS WE PUT TOGETHER IS TO TRY TO CHANGE THAT MIGRATION SO PEOPLE WANT TO COME BACK AND LIVE IN THE RURAL AREAS. THAT THERE ARE JOB OPPORTUNITIES THERE FOR THEM AND IT’S A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE. WE JUST WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE IN AN URBAN SETTING.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

BECAUSE HOW DIRE IN YOUR MIND ARE THE KIND OF THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN RURAL WISCONSIN BECAUSE OF FACTORS LIKE BRAIN DRAIN AND LACK OF SERVICES?

ED BROOKS:

WELL, I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S DIRE, BUT WE DO HAVE A SHORTAGE OF SKILLED WORKERS. AND TO GET OUR WORKERS LINED UP WITH THE JOBS THAT ARE AVAILABLE REQUIRES TRAINING. AND THEREFORE A COUPLE OF THE BILLS WE PUT IN HERE ARE APPRENTICE PROGRAMS, WHERE PEOPLE CAN GET THE TECHNICAL SKILLS THAT THEY NEED TO STAY IN THE COMMUNITY. THE PROBLEM COMES IN OUR RURAL COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, WHERE THEY HAVE DECLINING ENROLLMENTS. IT MAKES IT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO MAINTAIN THEIR BUDGETS BECAUSE THEY HAVE DECREASING SCHOOLS — OR STUDENTS. AND THEREFORE WE’RE TRYING TO REVERSE THAT. WE’RE TRYING TO ATTRACT QUALIFIED TEACHERS BACK TO RURAL SETTINGS AGAIN ALSO.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

NOW, THE BILLS CALL FOR SOME NEW SPENDING AS YOU WELL KNOW LIKE $10 MILLION MORE FOR BROADBAND EXPANSION. DESCRIBE WHAT THE LACK OF BROADBAND LOOKS LIKE IN MANY RURAL AREAS?

ED BROOKS:

THE LACK OF BROADBAND IS PROBABLY THE MOST DRAMATIC WHEN YOU GET TO THE STUDENTS’ HOMES. I THINK PROBABLY NEARLY ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS OR A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THEM HAVE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT TECHNOLOGY FOLLOWS A STUDENT WHEN THEY GO HOME. AND A LOT OF THESE KIDS WHEN THEY GET HOME, THEY DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH-SPEED INTERNET. THAT’S WHY BROADBAND IS SO IMPORTANT, TO GET OFF OF THE MAIN ROADS INTO THE SECONDARY PLACES WHERE THESE STUDENTS LIVE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO THE BILLS ALSO CALL FOR SPENDING FOR SEVERAL STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAMS, POTENTIALLY INTO THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. WHAT KIND OF BACKING DO YOU HAVE FROM LEADERSHIP OR THE GOVERNOR HIMSELF?

ED BROOKS:

WE’VE HAD GOOD ENTHUSIASM FROM BOTH THE SPEAKER AND FROM THE GOVERNOR ON THESE. THE BILLS — ONE OF THE BILLS WAS PATTERNED AFTER WHAT WE DO IN MILWAUKEE TO ATTRACT TEACHERS TO AN AREA THAT TEACHERS MIGHT OTHERWISE NOT WANT TO GO TO. RURAL AREAS CANNOT PAY THE SAME WAGE SCALE SAY AS THE FOX RIVER VALLEY OR THE URBAN CENTERS OF DANE COUNTY, BUT THEY DO HAVE OTHER THINGS TO OFFER. BY WORKING IN A COMBINATION OF ATTRACTING THEM BACK TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND ALLOWING THEM TO HAVE REDUCTIONS IN THEIR STUDENT LOANS, WE THINK THAT MAKES A VIABLE PACKAGE AS FAR AS GOING FORWARD.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

YOU KNOW, ANOTHER ONE OF THE BILLS WOULD ATTRACT OUT-OF-STATE PEOPLE TO RURAL WISCONSIN WITH STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM AND OTHER STATES HAVE THAT. HOW SUCCESSFUL IS IT IN OTHER STATES?

ED BROOKS:

THIS IS PATTERNED AFTER KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA. KANSAS HAS GOT THE GREATEST FEEDBACK. THEY’VE BEEN ABLE TO ATTRACT I THINK A COUPLE THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE COME BACK INTO THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM. AND AGAIN IT WOULD BE RURAL AREAS THAT ARE DEFINED RURAL BY OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, AND SO NOT EVERY COMMUNITY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE. BUT FOR THE MOST PART OF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE AT THE PODIUM THE OTHER DAY, I THINK ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS WOULD HAVE SUBSTANTIAL PORTIONS THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED RURAL.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

JUST VERY BRIEFLY WITH JUST ABOUT HALF A MINUTE LEFT, ARE THESE THE KINDS OF PROVISIONS YOU FEEL YOU COULD WORK ACROSS THE AISLE ON?

ED BROOKS:

OH, VERY DEFINITELY. ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF LEADERSHIP IS THAT YOU TAKE THE LEAD ON THIS. THAT’S WHY THIS WAS A REPUBLICAN GROUP OF LEGISLATORS. I’M VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE’LL BE ABLE TO ATTRACT A LOT OF BIPARTISAN SUPPORT ON THIS. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, WE LOSE OUR PARTISANSHIP WHEN IT GETS TO BE A RURAL-URBAN ISSUE. CERTAINLY THIS IS THAT KIND OF AN ISSUE, WHERE RURAL LEGISLATORS, WHETHER THEY’RE DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN, WILL JOIN TOGETHER AND SUPPORT IT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ALL RIGHT. REPRESENTATIVE BROOKS, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.

ED BROOKS:

WELL, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME.