Following the adoption of several Rural Wisconsin Initiative health care bills in the budget, legislators have introduced four bills to boost the state’s workforce. One of the bills proposed is authored by 50th Assembly District Representative Ed Brooks. LRB 2330 would have the creation of rural opportunity zone, which would include a repayment incentive of up to $25,000 or 40% of a new resident’s student loans, provided the new resident maintains a full time job, avoids public assistance, has a post-secondary degree, and settles in a county that fits the Federal OMB’s definition of rural. Brooks said maintaining the current population alone is not enough to reverse the population stagnation
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