TopofPageMidwest Food Products Association News Bulletin  - April 4, 2017   
In This Issue
The MWFPA News Bulletin is underwritten in part by Bug Blocker Doors & Screens
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Register Now For MWFPA's Cleaning & Sanitation Seminar

Register now for MWFPA's Cleaning and Sanitation in Food Plants Seminar, April 26, 2017, 8:00am-4:30pm at the Kalahari Resort & Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells, WI.

In the past, the MWFPA Cleaning & Sanitation Seminar has attracted over 100 sanitation professionals from the food industry and has provided an excellent opportunity to learn about the latest technologies and challenges in food plant sanitation.

This year we've added two new opportunities to participate in the program. First, we are incorporating the exhibits into our program by setting aside 30 minutes for demonstrations. We will list the demonstrations and simply tell atten dees to go to the demonstrations of their choice over that time slot. All exhibitors will be listed in the hand out material.

There are four exclusive sponsorship opportunities for this event (breakfast, lunch, break & binder). Each sponsor's logo will be displayed and a company representative will be given the opportunity to address all attendees at a designated time. The cost of a sponsorship is as follows:

* Breakfast $500
* Lunch $500
* Breaks $500
* Printed Binder $1000 (Exclusive)

Don't miss out on this opportunity to raise your profile as a market leader.  Become a demonstration facilitator or a sponsor now!! 

EXHIBITORS:
Engage in face-to-face conversations with attendees by reserving table top space located in the general meeting room or in close proximity to the registration desk. 

Don't wait.  Register Today!!  

Register as an attendee by clicking here!
Register as an exhibitor by clicking here! 
 
MWFPA has reserved a block of rooms at the Kalahari.  Please ask for the MWFPA Group Rate when reserving your room.  Phone:  608-254-5466.

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Register Now For MWFPA's Spring Summit & Scramble
Golf Ball
Register Today for MWFPA's  
Spring Summit & Scramble!
 
MWFPA's Spring Summit and Scramble is set for May 31 - June 1, 2017, at the Kalahari Resort and Trapper's Turn Golf Course in Wisconsin Dells, WI. For more information and on-line reservations, visit our event website: www.birdeasepro.com/MWFPA or download the registration form .  
   
This is a Members-Only event. On Wednesday evening, May 31st, a reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. in the Double Cut Grill at the Kalahari Resort & Convention Center.  The shotgun style golf tournament will be played at Trapper's Turn June 1st, starting at 8:00 am followed by lunch, awards and cash prizes. Register now!  This event fills up fast!
 
Last year over 200 golfers participated in this event and over $3,000 in cash prizes were awarded.  
 
The Spring Summit & Scramble offers many opportunities to promote your company by sponsoring:
  • A hole
  • Wednesday evening reception
  • Cash prizes
  • Lunch
  • Donating items for drawings and goodie bags*
All sponsors will be recognized with signage at the event, on our website, our social networking pages, and in our bi-monthly e-bulletin. The sooner you sponsor the longer your logo is displayed.
 
This year's golf outing will again afford participants the opportunity to help raise money for MWFPA Scholarships.  In 2017 MWFPA will award 16 $1,000 scholarships to the children of MWFPA member company employees. 
 
LODGING:
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Kalahari,  (608) 254-5466. When you call be sure to indicate that you are with MWFPA. 
 
*If your company plans to bring a door prize, please contact brian.deschane@mwfpa.org, or phone 608-255-9946 in advance of the event so your contribution can be included on the appropriate signage. A MINIMUM of 225 ITEMS MOST BE DONATED.

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Perdue Nomination For Ag Sec Now Before U.S. Senate
Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue's nomination as the next U.S. secretary of agriculture is now before the full Senate for consideration. 

The Senate Agriculture Committee approved his nomination late last week. No announcements have been made yet regarding timing for floor consideration in the Senate, but the goal is to have Perdue confirmed by the Congressional Easter recess which begins April 10.

If the Senate does not vote on Perdue's nomination this week it could be the end of April or early May before he is confirmed. Perdue has received wide spread support from the agriculture community. Six former secretaries of agriculture who served in the Reagan, Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations sent a letter of support to the Senate.

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WI Maintains Number One Ranking In Snap Bean Production
MWFPA announced that United States Department of Agriculture figures show the Badger State maintained its number one ranking nationally in production of snap beans for processing during 2016.
Read MWFPA's news release here

MN Ranks Number One In Sweet Corn Production
can of corn According to USDA figures released last week, MN maintained its number one ranking nationally in the production of sweet corn for processing in 2016.

Read MWFPA's news release  here

Omnibus Policy Bills Set For Action, Let The Negotiations Begin
All omnibus bills passed out of committees of the MN Legislature last week.

The House and Senate will be busy this week passing all the budget and tax bills by the Easter/Passover break that begins April 9.

After that it's off to conference committees and negotiations with Gov. Dayton when lawmakers get back to work April 17. T here remain significant differences in spending priorities between the DFL governor and the Republican controlled legislature.  Those differences need to be worked out and compromise bills passed by the statutory end of the 2017 legislative session on Monday May 22.
 
As for the the budget bills affecting the areas of agriculture and pollution control/natural resources, none contain fee increases to canning inspections as previously proposed, though a fee increase of $75 on import certificates requested from the MN Ag Department is in both the House and Senate agriculture budget bills.

Stand-alone legislation revisiting "chemicals of concern" including BPA that may be present in food containers has been introduced, but did not receive a hearing (and missed deadlines) and the authors did not attempt to insert the provision in the omnibus budget bills.

And language proposing to regulate "treated seeds" or attempting to restrict pesticides seen as harmful to pollinators is still being pushed by the Gov. and Ag Department.
 
IL Minimum Wage Bill Gets Renewed Push
IL Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago) has filed minimum wage hike legislation. HB 198 would gradually increase the IL minimum wage to $15 per hour in 2022 and impose significant new costs on employers of all sizes.

This is an 82 percent spike in the minimum wage and would make the state's minimum wage the highest in the nation when fully phased in.

The legislation includes a tax credit for small businesses with less than 50 employees. It also maintains a training wage and tip credit but does not pre-empt local governments from imposing a higher wage.

If passed into law, the current $8.25 IL minimum wage would increase as follows:

January 1, 2018        $9.00
January 1, 2019        $10.00
January 1, 2020        $11.25
January 1, 2021        $13.00
January 1, 2022        $15.00

Guzzardi believes the bill will pass the state House and Senate, but may not earn the support of Gov Rauner. Rauner wants a smaller wage increase phased in over a longer term.

A hearing has been set for April 5, 2017 before the House Labor & Commerce Committee for 10:00AM, Capitol Building Room 114 in Springfield. MWFPA opposes hikes in the minimum wage.

IL Paid Family Leave Bill Advances From Committee
IL Democrats in the House and Senate passed legislation out of committee on partisan votes that would mandate a new paid family leave law in Illinois.

Sponsored respectively by Rep. Christian Mitchell (D-Chicago) and Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights), both HB 2771 and SB 1296 would require all employers regardless of size to provide at least five paid days of leave every 12 months to all employees (full and part time). Employees could use the time to care for themselves or a family member due to health or medical appointment, closure of schools or daycare because of a public health emergency, or in cases of domestic violence.

Employees will accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked subject to a maximum cap of five days of leave. While the time may be carried over year to year, an employee can only use five days annually. Paid leave can only be used after an employee has been employed for 180 days.

Employers who currently have a paid time off (PTO) policy that complies with the minimum requirements of this Act would not be required to modify their policy. However, employers will be required to keep records for at least three years.

Violations of the law could result in action taken by either a court or Department of Labor including payment of wages, penalties, and damages.

The bills are on the floor of the House and Senate with votes expected in the near future.

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WI Finance Committee Hears Testimony On Budget
The WI Legislature's Joint Finance Committee (JFC) has been meeting to hear testimony from state agencies on the governor's budget proposal .

Legislators questioned department heads on the implementation of budget proposals, and inquired about various agency services. Both Republicans and Democrats on JFC posed tough questions on the budget's biggest proposals, including moving state employees to self-insurance, increases in education funding and the transportation budget.

Republicans continued their contentious debate with Gov. Walker about how to address the transportation shortfall. Democrats asked pointed questions about the WI Department of Natural Resource's regulation for polluters, DHS's Medicaid funding and more.

JFC will continue with public hearings throughout April. After that, the committee will meet several days each week through the end of May to vote on various aspects of the budget bill. All JFC modifications to the governor's bill will be incorporated in a substitute amendment and sent to the full legislature for floor votes in each house in June. 
Applications For Friday/Weckel Scholarships Still Being Accepted - Application Deadline April 28
scholarshipUndergraduate students attending, or planning to attend, UW Madison, Platteville or River Falls are eligible for Friday/Weckel scholarships.

Applications are due by April 28, 2017. Last year six scholarships were awarded totaling $9,000.

Information and applications can be downloaded from the MWFPA website, or by contacting Brian Elliott at: brian.elliott@mwfpa.org, or by calling 608-255-9946. 

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MWFPA Offers Exclusive Property & Casualty Insurance Program For Members
The Midwest Food Products Association is pleased to announce that its members now have access to an exclusive insurance program that is written specifically for our industry.  With assistance from the risk management firm Hays Companies, this program offers a customized Property and Casualty insurance program.

The program offers a complete insurance program for all business types, from processor to manufacturers, logistics to wholesaler and anything in between.  No market segment is excluded, and no organization is too large or too small.  

Learn more about what the MWFPA Insurance Program can do for you by visiting the program's website:
  https://mwfpa.haysprograms.com/.

For more information about the program, contact: Brad Van Swol at:Email: bvanswol@hayscompanies.com;  Phone: (414) 290-3581 

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MWFPA Events You Won't Want To Miss
April 26, 2017MWFPA Sanitation Seminar, Kalahari Resort & Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells,WI.

May 31 - June 1, 2017MWFPA Spring Summit & Scramble.Trappers Turn Golf Course, Wisconsin Dells, WI

October 5, 2017MWFPA Sporting Clay Challenge. Milford Hills Hunt Club, Johnson Creek, WI.

November 28 - 30, 2017MWFPA 113th Annual Convention and 90th Processing Crops Conference.  Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, MN.

Other Educational Opportunities
April 10-12, 2017The Wisconsin Safety Council will host its 75th Anniversary of the Wisconsin Safety & Health Conference and Expo in Wisconsin Dells.  Over 1,200 people and nearly 200 exhibitors attend this event that provides professional development training, safety certifications, ask the expert sessions, live demos, special award recognitions, and more over the three days. 

April 24-27, 2017: Better Process Control School, Madison, WI.
The cost of the training includes the updated (2016) course manual from FDA.  Links to online registration, a course schedule, and other information can be found here: www.foodsafety.wisc.edu Questions? Contact the conference registration services at 608-262-2451 or Dr. Barbara Ingham (University of Wisconsin) 608-263-7383.

Midwest Food Products Assoc. | | brian.elliott@mwfpa.org | http://www.mwfpa.org
4600 American Pkwy.
Suite 210
Madison, WI 53718