Milwaukee City Wire

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers is proudly spreading the news about how the state stood out among all others during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“ICYMI: We're the top state in the nation for federal aid we've directed toward economic development and we're the top state in the nation for aid we've directed to support our businesses,” Evers stated in a tweet Nov. 16. “That's work we're darn proud of.”

A recent Center on Budget Relief and Policy Priorities study found businesses and workers in Wisconsin received a higher share of federal pandemic relief funding than other states, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The state steered more than half of the $1.1 billion it received from the federal government as part of the American Rescue Plan toward economic development initiatives.

At the same time, state officials applied at least $642 million out of the total sum toward grants for businesses and $130 million for workforce development, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Another $550 million was used for state operations, $122 million went to public health and mental health initiatives, $56 million went to social services that include housing and economic assistance and $45 million went toward public safety.

"What we were hearing from the businesses was, 'We don't need a lot, we just need a little bit to be able to pay our rent, or to pay our employees," said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.

As of Aug. 31, Wisconsin has allocated approximately $2 billion of the $2.5 billion it received in American Rescue Plan funds, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The remainder must be allocated by the end of 2024.