Oshkosh Small Business Town Hall

On Monday I hosted a town hall at the UW-Oshkosh Alumni Center with Job Creators Network (JCN) and the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce. Seventeen local business owners attended the event to discuss issues facing small businesses - including overtaxation, overregulation and lack of access to credit.

During the town hall, many of these business owners brought it to my attention that the Department of Labor's new overtime rule, which requires business owners to pay salaried employees making less than $47,476 per year time and a half for any hours worked over 40 hours per week, is making it hard for their businesses to remain profitable and successful while still keeping current employees on the payroll with adequate benefits.

Other popular topics of discussion were tax reform, Dodd-Frank, a piece of legislation under the Obama administration that made changes to financial regulations in the U.S., workforce development and immigration.

Wisconsin’s small businesses and manufacturers are vital to the survival of our economy. Now that I know more about the specific struggles they face daily, I will work even harder to find solutions for these issues.

Click here to learn more about the town hall.

Congressman Grothman and JCN CEO Alfredo Ortiz listen to concerns of small business owners in Oshkosh at Monday's town hall.

Manitowoc County Chamber Meeting

Thank you to the Manitowoc County Chamber of Commerce for inviting me to speak at its meeting on Monday. The event connected business with government, and focused on the Department of Labor's overtime rule.

Congressman Grothman speaks to the Manitowoc County Chamber of Commerce at its Monday meeting.

Breakfast and Bagels with the Sheboygan Falls Chamber

On Wednesday morning of this week, I spent time speaking to the Sheboygan Falls Chamber of Commerce at its Breakfast and Bagels meeting. It was great to see Rep. Terry Katsma, Sen. Devin LeMahieu, Chamber Director Shiri Breunig Katsma and the chamber's board of directors at the meeting.

Congressman Grothman with the Sheboygan Falls Chamber of Commerce board of directors.