Posted on 03/01/2012 5:00:25 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
The marquee job-creation bill of the Republican-controlled Legislature appeared all but dead Wednesday when a key holdout refused to support mining legislation that held out the possibility of work for thousands but could roll back environmental protections.
Republicans who control the statehouse had banked on the mining bill as their signature employment bill this year, but with two weeks remaining in the session, their efforts have faltered amid opposition from Sen. Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) and others.
Schultz said Wednesday he met with Rep. Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and top officials with the state Department of Natural Resources in a closed-door meeting Monday...
Vos and Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) made Schultz a new, written offer on the legislation just before Schultz held a news conference laying out his bottom line. Schultz told reporters he could not accept the deal from Vos and Darling, who together lead the powerful Joint Finance Committee.
Schultz's support for any mining legislation is crucial because Republicans control the Senate 17-16. Some Democrats have said they support changing mining laws, but it appears unlikely they would sign onto legislation that Schultz opposed.
Schultz said he would support a bill only if it kept environmental protections in place and did not eliminate contested-case hearings, a quasi-judicial process ...
Mine supporters have insisted that there will be no rollback of environmental standards, and they say the hearings needlessly drag out the process.
Schultz was hopeful a deal could be reached, but he acknowledged time is running out. The regular legislative session ends March 15.
Lawmakers have discussed changing mining laws for much of 2011. The Assembly passed a reform bill in January. Schultz, Democrats and environmental groups have said that measure eliminated protections for wetlands and groundwater and restricted the public's role by removing the contested-case process.
(Excerpt) Read more at jsonline.com ...
Wisconsin Mining Bill ping
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.
Call it "Element Catch & Release", or "Soil Restructuring", or "Particle Liberation".
A name like Soilyndra would be perfect.
One idiot RINO can inflict this on our state that needs jobs and economic growth.
And the democrats sit on their fat hands even though it would help their voters.
We keep allowing idiots to run government and its is very frustrating to those that would like government to actually work in the best interests of its citizens.
Speaker, FORCE THE VOTE.
Post of the month! LOLOLOLOLOL
If any of you FR readers live in the district of Sen. Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center), please call his local office and his Madison office and tell him he is holding up good jobs for Wisconsin workers, both in the area of the proposed mine and in areas where heavy equipment is made and serviced.
Schultz is on a high horse on so-called environment issues and forgets human issues such as jobs for workers is more important. Anyway, these mines have to clean up later and the restored land will be just fine.
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