Assembly Republicans use irresponsible mining bill to create illusion of focusing on jobs
MADISON – Assembly Democratic Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) released the following statement as the Assembly prepares to take up AB 426, related to the ferrous mining in Wisconsin:
“Once again, Assembly Republicans have chosen the most extreme version of a bill that they could possibly do. This bill stands to potentially harm our state’s drinking water for decades to come.
“Last August, Senate Minority Leader Miller and I met with Gov. Walker at the Executive Residence to discuss the mining issue. The governor promised to approach mining in a bipartisan and bicameral way so we could all work together to create jobs but hasn’t followed through on that plan.
“Instead, we have a bill that is so extreme that even Senate Republicans show no signs of allowing it to move forward and ultimately become law. Meanwhile, responsible, collaborative efforts to create jobs are being ignored.
“Sadly, today is not about creating jobs – it is about the illusion of working to create jobs without any real progress on what needs to be our top priority. At a time when Wisconsin has lost jobs for six straight months – every month since the governor signed his budget – and Wisconsin ranked 44th out of 50 states in private-sector job creation in 2011, this approach is not working for our state’s middle-class families.”
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