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Melissa Hughes: “We're definitely an island. Everybody around us has, you…”

Featuring: Melissa Hughes, Secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation

From Sheep to State

Published March 29, 2026 | Video Starts at 31:18

There are. Are social perspectives on this. There are economic perspectives. There are a lot of different ways to view this issue. Do you support it and why? Well, We're definitely an island. Everybody around us has, you know, as you said, legalized [marijuana]. it. I am pro legalization. I want to do it smartly. I want to do it. I want to look at other states that have done it and say, how are you doing this? (31:18–31:24)

CLAIM

Asserts that Wisconsin is surrounded by states that have legalized marijuana.

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Melissa Hughes

“The Wisconsin economy is incredibly diverse, with dairy being a $55 billion economy.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 15:32-15:36
“All of agriculture, including dairy, is a $115 billion industry in Wisconsin.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 15:40-15:48
“Over 9,500 businesses in all 72 counties [of Wisconsin] go into empty spaces and start their businesses.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 19:57-20:06
“Over 70% of [the businesses started through the Main Street Bounce Back program] were opened by women.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 20:24-20:28
“When elected, she'll be the first woman who is the governor of Wisconsin.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 36:49-37:11
“Governor Evers announced in July that he was not going to run for re-election.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 06:19-06:37
“I saw an opportunity to bring my skills and my experience in building economies, in helping Wisconsin businesses expand to the governor's…”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 06:25-06:37
“I wanted to really keep the momentum that we have seen over the past few years of the Wisconsin economy growing and growing and businesses…”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 06:37-06:48
“I want to help Wisconsin's economy continue to grow so that folks have access to good jobs right in their communities and everything else…”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 07:16-07:27
“I've spent 17 years working for farmers, so I know how to talk to farmers.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 09:47-09:53
“I've been in the dairy industry, so I'm really connected to the land when it comes to understanding what people are looking for from their…”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 09:52-09:57
“I've done a ton of work in both [Madison and Milwaukee] in the last six years, especially in Milwaukee, working with companies like Fiserv…”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 10:02-10:14
“I've worked a ton in Green Bay, so I've worked all over the state.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 10:24-10:30
“I'm not making empty promises about solving things across the state, whether it's housing or child care.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 23:17-23:24
“I can point to actual impact that I have had to make those changes and to make those differences around the state.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 23:24-23:31
“I'm gonna provide practical solutions for Wisconsin that I've already shown we've done in different communities all around the state.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 23:43-23:52
“I want to reinvest Wisconsin's taxpayer dollars back into our communities and really make a difference.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 24:02-24:09
“We need to be strong on both feet as a state to be able to move forward and move past this, this moment in time as quickly as possible.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 25:34-25:45
“That means to me, having a strong economy, investing in our schools, investing in Wisconsinites.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 25:44-25:50
“We have to make those core investments now so that we are continuing some momentum and can move even faster once he's gone and done with…”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 25:49-26:02
“These data centers want to be here in Wisconsin because it's cold, which costs less to cool data servers.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 29:16-29:20
“Land is not as expensive as it might be in Texas or in Arizona.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 29:31-29:37
“We have a strong electrical utility grid that [data centers] want to access.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 29:36-29:43
“I renegotiated [the Foxconn] whole contract.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 30:37-30:40
“I am pro legalization [of marijuana].”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 31:23-31:26
“There's obviously a huge amount of damages from alcohol and opioids.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 32:55-33:01
“We're potentially going to be in the same type of a moment with AI [as with the introduction of electricity].”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 39:19-39:25
“We have so much to be proud of and to look forward to [in Wisconsin].”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 42:22-42:27
“That's what I want to bring as governor, that pride and that excitement for the future.”
From Sheep to State | Uploaded March 29, 2026 | 42:26-42:32