Wisconsin labor shortage, DACA license eligibility focus of bill

DACA job license eligibility focus of bill

A Wisconsin bill would make DACA recipients eligible to obtain professional or occupational licenses with hopes of addressing a labor shortage.

MILWAUKEE - With more jobs and fewer people to fill them, Wisconsin lawmakers are looking to a specific group of people in hopes of addressing a worker shortage.

The backstory:

A U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey shows Wisconsin had nearly 140,000 job openings last summer.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

The labor shortage isn't new, but lawmakers hope to address it by giving professional licenses to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, better known as DACA, recipients.

Under the current law, DACA recipients are not eligible to hold professional or occupational licenses in Wisconsin. It means they cannot work as teachers, nurses or plumbers, to name a few careers, or hold licenses in similar sectors.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Assembly Bill 759 would allow DACA recipients to obtain a professional or occupational license, lawmakers said. It has bipartisan support.

What they're saying:

Lawmakers who support the bill told FOX6 News they believe it would be a positive first step to help keep talent in Wisconsin and address the need for workers.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

"These are people that have grown up in our state and our country. We have paid for them to go through high school, and now, when they are ready to join the workforce, we have to say, ‘No, you have to leave to Illinois or Minnesota if you want to work,’" said State Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay). "These are real vetted people that have been paying taxes, and it just makes no sense at all for us not to allow them to stay in Wisconsin and get these licenses."

"This is not an immigration bill, people need to understand that," said State Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D-Milwaukee). "This is about fulfilling the workforce needs of Wisconsin."

What's next:

Both Kitchens and Ortiz-Velez said the bill is in its middle stages. They hope it will get to the Assembly in the next few weeks.