The WBIA’s Executive Director Joshua Morby and his team of government relations specialists from both sides of the aisle have decades of experience both serving in and working for the state’s legislature and executive branches and numerous agencies across state government.
Strategic relationships at Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources, Department of Transportation, DATCP, Commerce and the Office of Energy Independence enable members to gain access to and get answers from the top policy makers and regulators in Wisconsin. Ongoing policy topics and discussion items include international DDGS distribution, grain handling, and logistical concerns regarding rails and roadways as well as regulatory concerns and issues surrounding clean water and air issues, permitting and regulation.
Corn Check Off
In late 2007, the Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance helped pass one of the most influential bills used to promote the bio fuel industry in Wisconsin. The bill increased the voluntary assessment on corn sold commercially from one-tenth of a penny to one-half of a penny per bushel.
In 2008, the funds raised from the corn checkoff exceeded $1 million – more than four times the amount raised in 2007 – and the vast majority of the funds were used for direct ethanol promotion. Wisconsin corn growers remain a strong supporter of the industry and partner of the WBIA.
The corn checkoff dollars have also been used for a number of other ethanol promotion efforts, including the creation of free E85 station maps, the donation of a flex-fuel Chevy Tahoe to be used by Alice in Dairyland, and ethanol booths at a number of events across Wisconsin.
Special Committee on Domestic Biofuels
In 2008, a Wisconsin legislative Special Committee on Domestic Biofuels was established to evaluate the potential benefits of biofuels and recommend state policies based on those findings.
The WBIA was influential in coordinating the makeup of that committee. WBIA board members Jeremy Goodfellow of Sanimax and Steve Christensen of Western Wisconsin were both named to the committee, as well as several supporting industry leaders, including Professor Randy Fortenbery at UW-Madison and Bill Johnson with Johnson Timber.
The committee generated and approved over a dozen proposals favorable to the bio industry. The proposals included:
• Expanding state financial assistance programs to ensure they apply to biomass power generation
• Creating a tax credit for installing or retrofitting pumps that allow consumers to choose the blend of biofuels they purchase
• A renewable fuels standard equal to 110% of the state’s share of the federal RFS
• Promoting the use of biofuels in state vehicles
