Senate Bill 252 Passes the Assembly

Yesterday, my colleagues in the Assembly and I passed Senate Bill 252, which I co-authored with Sen. Lasee. This bill will greatly benefit Kewaunee County. The Kewaunee Power Station closed back in 2013, but the effects are still being felt by the County and local municipalities. SB 252 helps with budgetary issues brought about by plant closures.

The counties and municipalities of Wisconsin that host power plants receive “utility aid” in lieu of property taxes. Kewaunee County and the town of Carlton would have lost this aid, a considerable portion of their operating budgets, due to the closure of the nuclear plant. For the County, it represents $713,000 or 6% of the total budget. While this aid will eventually be lost, the bill allows funds to decrease over a five year period. Without this bill, Carlton and Kewaunee County would have lost this funding entirely in 2016, making it very difficult to provide regular services. The five-year step-down provides a period to allow these entities to adjust their budgets.

As we wrote this bill, we learned that this de-funding process would be important to many areas of the state. The new EPA regulations regarding carbon emissions will cause the closure of numerous coal-powered power plants in Wisconsin. These counties, towns and municipalities will suffer the same budgetary issues that affected our area. SB 252 will provide welcomed relief to these areas as well.

I am proud to have led this bill through the Assembly, and I would like to thank Senator Lasee for being the Senate author on this bill. Thanks is also due to Scott Feldt, the Kewaunee County Administrator, for his support and testimony in committee.
 

Gathering Waters Award Ceremony

Gathering Waters, the Wisconsin alliance of land trusts, presented me, along with Rep. Todd Novak and Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, with the Land Conservation Leadership Awards as Policy Maker of the Year last night. It was a tremendous honor to receive this award for my role in restoring funding for the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. I believe that conservation of our natural resources is not a partisan issue so it was very gratifying to receive this award along with two of my Republican colleagues.

Dan Burke, the Director of the Door County Land Trust, received the award as Gathering Waters’ Conservationist of the year during the same ceremony. Under Dan’s leadership, the Door County Land Trust has become a model for other land trusts around the state. It made the evening even more special to be honored at the same time as Dan, whom I greatly admire.

Rep. Kitchens Attends Eagle Tower Listening Session

On September 14th, Senator Frank Lasee, Senator Rob Cowles and I, along with representatives from the DNR, held a listening session to explore our options to preserve Eagle Tower in Peninsula State Park. Eagle Tower is a symbol of Door County, beloved by residents and tourists alike. The tower was closed in May after an inspection revealed safety issues in the 80 year old structure.

 
Over 100 people crowded into the Old Town Hall in Fish Creek to express their love for the tower. The group was unanimous in their desire to either replace or rebuild the tower, with the strong preference being to repair the existing structure.

Sen. Lasee, Sen. Cowles and I agree that repair would be the preferred option. We fear that if the tower were torn down it would be very difficult to rebuild and would likely take several years. We will be pursuing further studies to determine the feasibility and cost of the project.

DNR officials stated that they will try to find a balance between public opinion and responsibly utilizing their resources. They also said that the five state parks in Door County will be a priority when providing money for improvements in the state.

I am confident we will find a solution to this problem. This tower is too important to the people of our area to allow it to disappear. The people of Door County are resourceful and determined and no other outcome will be acceptable.
 

If you would like to add your voice to the conversation or find out more information about how to become involved, please contact my office.

Blue Books Available

If you would like a complimentary copy of the 2015-2016 Wisconsin State Blue Book, please follow the proved link:

          http://legis.wisconsin.gov/assembly/01/kitchens/constituent-services/ 

The 2015-2016 Blue Book is also available online:

          http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb/publications/wisconsin-blue-book/

In Closing...

Thank you for taking the time to read over my E-Update. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact my office.

Representative Joel Kitchens