This op-ed was written by Lori Compas, the executive director of the Wisconsin Business Alliance, a nonpartisan, nonprofit membership organization representing business owners statewide. 

A state’s reputation is built through decades of hard work and thoughtful action. Over the past century, Wisconsin’s leaders built our state’s reputation for good government, respectful business-labor relations, and common-sense environmental safeguards. Our people became known for their strong work ethic, intelligence, and integrity.

But our state’s reputation has been damaged over the past two years. Jobs numbers are disappointing, the public’s trust in government has eroded, and Wisconsin no longer enjoys an image as a fair and stable place to do business.

As the 2013 legislative session gets underway, the newly formed Wisconsin Business Alliance is ready to work with legislators and in communities around Wisconsin to begin the process of restoring our state’s good name, improving the business climate, and protecting our quality of life. Here’s how we can accomplish those goals:

Expand broadband access. Decades ago, our state’s leaders literally paved the way for the Wisconsin dairy industry’s success by paving nearly every road that led to a dairy farm. This was a tremendous government investment and it paid off not only for dairy farmers, but also for their communities and our state as a whole. Today’s leaders have a similar opportunity to help businesses in Wisconsin’s small towns and rural areas form connections to the larger world. We’ll work to protect and expand WiscNet, the low-cost internet service provider that has reliably served our small-town schools, hospitals, libraries, and universities for more than 20 years. In areas where WiscNet isn’t available, the state should work with other internet service providers to ensure reliable access at fair prices.

Encourage entrepreneurship and innovation. Our state should encourage a knowledge-based economy, directing incentives toward companies that have the most potential for growth. Information technology, biosciences, advanced manufacturing, and energy startups all have great potential.

Invest in education and training. We’ll encourage legislators to invest in our public schools, universities, and technical colleges as if the future of our state’s economy depends on it–because it does.

Optimize our health care exchanges. Wisconsin should take advantage of decades’ worth of data collected by the Wisconsin Health Information Organization and the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality to inform business owners and other consumers about the cost, quality, and long-term health outcomes of various health care providers and plans.

Protect our water. Wisconsin’s current mining law was passed with bipartisan support and signed by Republican governor Tommy Thompson. We’ll remind legislators that technology-forcing policies have created jobs and led to cleaner air and waterways across the nation. Our lives and livelihoods–and particularly those of our members in the tourism and outdoor recreation industries–rely on clean water, and our leaders should continue to require proof that mining companies can and will protect it.

Return to good government. Reforming the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, getting money out of politics, and focusing on jobs and economic development will be among our top priorities as Wisconsin tries to reestablish itself as a good place to live and work.

A state’s business reputation is built not by what its leaders say, but by what they actually do. As the 2013 legislative session gets underway, our leaders have the power to improve our state’s business climate and protect our quality of life. We’re hopeful that they’ll keep our reputation–and theirs–in mind.