Coming into 2020, we entered the year feeling good about the upcoming economic year, but the Pandemic hit the economy hard. Top Workforce Issues: Availability of skilled labor, Labor Costs, Quality of life, Availability of skilled workers, Competitive labor costs. Complexity Paralysis: the complexity of the workforce issues is overwhelming, we need to develop a complex plan with simple steps. The knowledge and skills we have are built on from different aspect in our life. Teach people to be adaptable and continue to grasp skills as the world changes.

Explore Eau Claire – Community Concierge Program, an answer to a long term workforce issue for our area employers, this program is meant to be a supplement to the already extraordinary efforts our employers go through the hire, train and retain great employees in our area. Built with several customizable services, the Explore Eau Claire program is a referral system for HR managers to use for candidates in a mid to high level position. Referred candidates will get one on one interaction with our Community Concierge to learn more about our community; what it offers, what it doesn’t and how to engage in  our community. Check out the website and our menu of referral services with the link above!
 
Winterized – Think Eau Claire Campaign, show casing a vibrant winter community and an effort to change the winter mindset and culture in our area! Check out the newly updated website with the link above! ​

 Friday, November 20, the Eau Claire Area’s monthly Eggs and Issues program featured a post-election analysis with Dr. Charles Franklin, the director of the Marquette Law School Poll. Dr. Franklin’s analysis discussed the Wisconsin election results and described some of the changes that happened in this November’s election cycle. Most notably, the winner of the presidential elections flipped from President Trump winning in 2016 to Biden winning in 2020. Urban and more populated areas have been growing across the state and continue to grow bluer whereas the more rural parts of the state have become more red. At the Congressional and State Legislative levels little changed. The Congressional districts stayed the same and the Republicans in the State Senate now hold the largest majority they have had in decades. While a couple of seats shifted to the Democrats in the Milwaukee suburbs, the Republicans still hold the majority in the State Assembly.

According to Dr. Franklin, partisanship in the state is almost dead even with 30% being Republican and 29% being Democratic. When including Independents who lean and vote towards one party the divide becomes 45% Republican and 45% Democratic. This makes for a very even balance between parties which can be seen both in elections and public opinion polls.

In 2016, President Trump won Wisconsin by 0.77 percentage points and approximately 23,000 votes. This year Biden won the state by roughly 0.62 percentage points and about 21,000 votes. Pending the recounts going on in Dane and Milwaukee counties, this is a shift of about 1.4 percentage points. While these appear to be incredibly close margins, Dr. Franklin explained that this election was the fourth of the last six elections to have been decided by these margins. In 2004 the winner was determined by just under 13,000 votes and in 2000 less than 6,000 votes decided the winner. The elections of 2008 and 2012, on the other hand, saw President Obama win the state with 14 and 7 percent margins, respectively.
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Breaking down the percent margin for president in 2020, Dr. Franklin explained that the eastern half of the state is generally red with the exception of Milwaukee and Menominee counties. The North also tends to vote red with Bayfield, Ashland, and Douglas counties typically voting blue. Dane County votes deep blue and La Crosse, Eau Claire, Portage, Iowa, Green, and Rock counties also voted blue. Sauk and Door counties were the only two counties in Wisconsin that flipped from Trump in 2016 to Biden in 2020. 

Counties with a robust urban center are growing throughout the state and continue to vote blue. This includes Eau Claire which is a blue county surrounded by red. Taking a look at the wards within Eau Claire, Dr. Franklin noted that every ward with a substantial vote count went for Biden. All the other wards within the county, however, went for Trump except for Altoona. Even in red counties, villages and cities are typically less red than the surrounding rural areas. 

According to Dr. Franklin, the change in percent margins from 2016 to 2020 are trends that have been going on for multiple elections. The trends are not unique to Trump, then, but rather represent patterns of geographic shifts in the state. Eau Claire County voted more for Biden than it had for Clinton in 2016. Green Bay and other Fox Valley counties that were light pink for the vote percentage map are now more blue. This shift shows that counties with cities are now voting increasingly Democratic. The margins were big enough for Baldwin to win all of the counties in 2018 and although Evers did not win all the counties, he did win all the cities. Dane and Milwaukee counties are the only counties that moved to be even more blue.

At the Congressional and State Legislative levels changes are minimal. Wisconsin has reliably Democratic and Republican districts for Congress with the 8th District around Green Bay being the only district to occasionally flip from Republican to Democrat. The Republicans in the State Senate now hold the largest majority they have had in decades. While two seats shifted to the Democrats in Milwaukee suburbs, the Republicans still hold the majority in the State Assembly.

Overall, the 2020 election was an incredibly close race, but the geographic shift has led to critical changes. These shifts will also be critical for statewide contests, but lower-level elections will have few implications for the state as a whole.

Additional information:
Marquette Law School Poll (Website)
Marquette pollster says 2020 miss raises questions (Leader-Telegram$)
Marquette Law School Poll Director shares what 2020 election means for Wisconsin (WEAU 13 News)

Posted by Grace Hanson, Governmental Affairs Intern
hanson@eauclairechamber.org

CALL FOR YOUTH ART SUBMISSIONS
Manifest Mask Up Art Contest
***For those residents of Eau Claire County who are 18 and younger***
Prizes: $25 for first choice, $15 for second choice, $10 for third choice
Deadline: A week from today - Sunday, Nov. 22nd, by noon.
All visual media welcome (including digital).  For more details and how to enter, click here.

Congratulations to Green Fleet, LLC on their ribbon cutting and their investment with the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce!  

April Election Date: April 6, 2021
Spring Primary (*if a primary election is needed): February 16, 2021
* A primary is needed whenever the number of candidates filing nomination papers exceeds two times the number of seats needed to fill an elected office.

Altoona School Board:
School District of Altoona Election Information
The Altoona School Board has 5 members each elected for 3-year terms.
Seats up for election:             
3-Year Term (Rick Risler-Incumbent)
You must have a minimum of 20 ­­­signatures but no more than 100 signatures. 

Eau Claire School Board:
ECASD Spring Election Information
The Eau Claire School Board has 7 members. 6 are elected for 3-year terms. 1 is elected for a 1-year term. The 1-year seat will be given to the candidate who receives the third largest number of votes.
Seats up for election:               
3-Year Term (Joshua Clement-Incumbent)
3-Year Term (Marquell Johnson-Incumbent)
1-Year Term (Erica Zerr-Incumbent)
You must have a minimum of 100 signatures but no more than 200 signatures.

Additional School Board Information:
School Board Members take office on April 26, 2021. Elected and Re-elected members of the School Board must take and file the official Oath of Office no later than April 26, 2021.
Nomination papers may not be circulated before December 1, 2020.
The deadline for declaring candidacy is 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 5, 2021.
For more information visit:
Campaign Finance Checklist
Campaign Finance Registration Statement
Guide for Candidates
Local Candidates – Non-Partisan
School District Candidates Checklist

Altoona City Council:
City of Altoona Elected Officials Information
The Altoona City Council is made up of 6 City Council members and 1 mayor. Each member is elected for a 2-year term. In even number years Aldermanic District 1, 2, 3, and the Mayor position are up for election. In odd number years Aldermanic District 4, 5, and 6 are up for election.
Seats up for election:
District 4 (Ward 6,7) - Matthew Biren (Incumbent)
District 5 (Ward 8,9) -Tim Sexton (Incumbent)
District 6 (Ward 10, 11, 15) -Susan Rowe (Incumbent)
Altoona Ward Map
Altoona Ward Locator
You must have a minimum of 20 signatures but no more than 40 signatures.
Note: Pay attention to the signatures obtained on Nomination Papers. Signers must be eligible voters who live in the City limits (and within the district if you are running for a district office). They do not have to be registered voters. Signers must give their complete address (house number, street, and municipality). They need to date their signature. You are strongly urged to obtain more than the minimum number of signatures required for ballot status in case a problem is found with some signatures. However, you cannot collect over the maximum number. 

Eau Claire City Council:
City Council Candidate Information
The Eau Claire City Council is made up of 10 City Council members and 1 City Council President. Each member is elected for a 3-year term. 5 members are elected from aldermanic districts and 5 members are elected at large. The City Council President is also elected at large. The aldermanic district seats are the only City Council positions up for election in spring 2021.
Seats up for election:
District 1- Emily Berge (Incumbent)
District 2- Emily Anderson (Incumbent)
District 3- Jeremy Gragert (Incumbent)
District 4- Jill Christopherson (Incumbent)
District 5- Andrew Werthmann (Incumbent)   
Eau Claire District Map
You must have a minimum of 20 signatures but no more than 40 signatures.
Note: Pay attention to the signatures obtained on Nomination Papers. Signers must be eligible voters who live in the City limits (and within the district if you are running for a district office). They do not have to be registered voters. Signers must give their complete address (house number, street, and municipality). They need to date their signature. You are strongly urged to obtain more than the minimum number of signatures required for ballot status in case a problem is found with some signatures. However, you cannot collect over the maximum number. 
Additional Information:
Nomination papers may not be circulated before December 1, 2020.
The deadline for declaring candidacy is 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 5, 2021.

Do you live in different school district, city, village or town than Altoona or Eau Claire?
Check with your local school district office, or municipal clerk, for specific information about open seats and filing requirements.

For more information visit:
Ballot Access Checklist
Campaign Finance Registration Statement
Local Candidates – Non-Partisan
Wisconsin Elections Commission
Wisconsin Ethics Commission

Posted by: Grace Hanson, Governmental Affairs Intern
hanson@eauclairechamber.org

Also contact: Scott Rogers, Governmental Affairs Director
rogers@eauclairechamber.org

Free Covid-19 testing is now available for those who don't have symptoms.  Details are available on the pdf below.

Local Company's Shields Protecting Workers, Patrons 
Alliance Plastics of Chippewa Falls is taking action to prevent the spread of COVID-19. With the help of CVTC, Alliance Plastics is taking the lead in supplying the equipment to set up the protective plastic shields. 

Give the Gift of Warmth this Winter with WESTconsin Credit Union 
This holiday season, WESTconsin Credit Union will host The Mitten Tree campaign - a Kindness Counts imitative. While the annual collection event will be a little different this year, the credit union is excited to collect cold weather apparel and accessories for those in need as the winter season's sub-zero temperatures set in. Last year, the credit union collected 3,019 items and $4,411.18 in support of this cause. 
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Regional UW Campuses Announce Shift to Online Instruction After Thanksgiving Break 
Following the announcement of 100% capacity at area hospitals, along with the executive order issued by Gov. Tony Evers concerning the rise of COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin, three western Wisconsin regional UW campuses have decided to move to remote instruction after Thanksgiving break. 

Survey to measure UW-Eau Claire alumni satisfaction
​​The University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire and other UW System schools will join in a national survey of alumni to measure graduates' satisfaction with their career paths. The National Alumni Career Mobility Survey, which will be administered from Nov. 14 - Dec. 31, will ask select groups of alumni about pathway factors. The survey will go to alumni who graduated in 2010 and 2015. Full story 

​UW-Eau Claire professor to discuss community recognition of Tribal Nations and their land
Dr. Heather Ann Moody, an associate professor of American Indian studies at UW-Eau Claire and an enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, will present “What Do You Know About Your Neighbors? Recognizing the Native Land and People in Your Community” from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Nov. 19 for UW-Eau Claire – Barron County's “Thursdays from the U” livestreamed lecture series. Full story.

Health Department Updates COVID-19 Prevention and Control Community Expectations 
The Eau Claire City-County Health Department is releasing revised COVID-19 Community Expectations. These Community Expectations were first released on October 15, 2020. Since that time, Eau Claire County has unfortunately seen a dramatic and dangerous increase of COVID-19 spread in our community. This is negatively impacting our hospitals, our public health system, our businesses, our schools, and most importantly the individuals and families
in our community who are becoming sick and dying from this disease. 

Prevea Welcomes Family Medicine Physicians, Drs. Danielle Helmick and Charles Steinmetz
Altoona, WI - Prevea Health is pleased to welcome Dr. Danielle Helmick and Dr. Charles Steinmetz, family medicine providers serving the Altoona and Chippewa Falls areas. 

L.E. Phillips Career Development Center Outreach Office Provides Emergency Shelter for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness in Chippewa County 
With the cold weather quickly approaching, emergency shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness is a great need as there if no homeless shelter in Chippewa County. The Outreach Office if reaching out to the community to raise money for motel vouchers to help those in need. 

Ten Area Nonprofit Arts Organizations Receive COVID-19 Cultural Grant 
Eau Claire, WI - Governor Tony Evers announced that $15 million in COVID-19 Cultural Organization Grants has been awarded to 385 cultural organizations across Wisconsin. Ten nonprofit organizations in Eau Claire, Chippewa, and Dunn counties have awarded a combined %531,065.91 in grants. 

CVTC Referendum Projects Underway 
Eau Claire, WI - Construction work on the projects approved in the Chippewa Valley Technical College spring referendum began this week with a groundbreaking at the Manufacturing Education Center on Monday, Nov. 9. Now under construction is a 10,000 square-foot addition onto the southeast corner of the building to expand the existing Welding program facilities. 

 ​Free Covid-19 testing is now available through mid-December for those who don't have symptoms.  Details are available on the pdf below.