Legislative Notes

EACH DAY IS A DAY CLOSER TO NORMALCY

BY SCOTT STENGER, STENGER GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

St. Patrick’s Day has long been one of my favorite days of the year. I can thank my ancestors for my love of all things Irish, especially on March 17! This St. Patrick’s Day, however, was not one for celebration. Instead, with just three hours’ notice, every licensee in the state was ordered to close in response to Wisconsin’s efforts to combat coronavirus. Taverns, restaurants and supper clubs stocked full with corned beef and beer for St. Patrick’s Day now had to scramble to shuttle customers out the door before the 5 p.m. order took effect.

TLW members were frustrated and uncertain of what the future would hold, but understood the need to work with those in their communities to help keep customers, employees, family and friends safe. The coronavirus pandemic gripped the entire world, while federal and state governments worked to respond to both the health and safety of every American, as well as the economic calamity the virus was causing.

There is a long way to go before normalcy returns to the hospitality industry. As of this writing, taverns, restaurants and supper clubs are still closed. Things are bleak and it is hard to envision a worse scenario facing the hospitality industry. But each day is a day closer toward normal, and the resiliency of small business is going to be on full display when we start to reopen the doors of Wisconsin’s taverns, restaurants and supper clubs.

“The resiliency of small business is going to be on full display when we start to reopen the doors of Wisconsin’s taverns, restaurants and supper clubs.”

In the meantime, what you need to know about the state of Wisconsin’s COVID-19 legislative package is it:

• Permits the Department of Revenue (DOR) to waive penalties and interest for individuals who fail to timely remit the sales taxes they have collected for the state during the public health emergency. The waiver is on a caseby-case basis, meaning the person failed to timely remit those taxes due to the effects of the coronavirus outbreak of 2020 in the secretary of the DOR’s determination.

• Allows local governments to waive interest and penalties on late installments of property taxes if payment is received before Oct. 1, 2020. In order to apply, a county government must first pass a resolution authorizing municipalities, as well as determining hardship.

• Temporarily suspends the unemployment insurance waiting week. The package specifies that the waiting week does not apply between March 12, 2020, and Feb. 7, 2021. Under current law, unemployment insurance claimants are eligible for 26 weeks of benefits, though they must wait one week before filing. The temporary suspension allows them to file immediately, but still only provides 26 weeks of benefits.

• Does not charge unemployment insurance claims filed during the public health emergency to an employer’s account. Between March 12 and Dec. 31, 2020, unemployment insurance benefits regarding a claim related to a public health emergency would be charged to the balancing account of the unemployment insurance trust fund instead of an employer’s account to protect employers from being penalized for layoffs caused by

COVID-19.

TLW members miss their employees and customers, and Wisconsinites miss their favorite taverns, restaurants and supper clubs. I, for one, am looking forward to my first cold bottle of beer at my favorite Northwoods tavern after all of this is over! TLW