The State of the State
2011-2012 Assembly Republican picture. I'm proud to serve along side these great individuals!
I hope you had a chance to listen to Governor Walker's State of the State Address this week. The speech outlined the many accomplishments of the past year. It also laid out a very optimistic plan for our state's future. I couldn't be more proud of the work we've done in the Assembly to help accomplish our goals for the state. We want a state that is fiscally sound. We want a state that doesn't overly burden our taxpayers. And, we want a state that is open for business.
When Republicans took over the majority a year ago, we inherited a backlog of unpaid bills and a $3.6 billion deficit. We just experienced three years of job losses, 150,000 jobs to be exact. We faced those challenges head on. We turned the state around and balanced the state budget without raising taxes. Taxpayers saw the smallest increase in their property tax bills in 15 years. We cleaned up the financial mess while implementing important reforms that will help state and local officials balance their budgets in the years to come.
Our top priority has always been job creation. After two special sessions on jobs last year, we're seeing an increase in private sector jobs in the thousands. Business leaders are optimistic and are planning to hire workers. In Racine County, Ruud Lighting is bringing hundreds of new jobs to the area thanks to great local and state cooperation.
Our work to help spur economic growth is far from over. This week, I'm happy to report that Assembly Republicans passed what could be the largest economic development bill in Wisconsin history. The legislation updates the mining statutes to allow for the differentiation of iron ore mining and sulfide metallic mining. Iron ore mining does not use a chemical process to extract our natural resource from the ground. It does so in a more environmentally-friendly manner.
Passage of the mining legislation would open the door to a potential mine in Northern Wisconsin. One of the largest iron ore deposits in North America is located in Iron and Ashland Counties. A new mine would result in thousands of construction jobs, and potentially 5,600 mining jobs with an average pay and benefits package of $82,000. The economic impact on Wisconsin's economy could top $1.2 billion. This is just what our state needs. I look forward to its final passage in the near future.
Next year at this time, I'm confident we'll have even more accomplishments to share with you. Our reforms will continue to help state and local governments. We'll also see more businesses create jobs by utilizing the resources and incentives from the state. Like Governor Walker, I agree; now is the time to move Wisconsin forward.
Thanks for visiting!
Rep. Vos poses with his constituent Rosemary Dolatowski, RN, MS, Director of School Health Services for the Burlington Area School District.
School Choice Week
Pictured above is the official gubernatorial proclamation declaring it Wisconsin School Choice Week. School choice should be celebrated not only in Racine but across our state. It has provided great educational opportunities for children to succeed in the classroom.
Nominate a Wisconsin Hero
Do you know someone who has spent countless hours volunteering their time to make their community better? Wisconsin First Lady Tonette Walker would like to honor these heroes every month. This week, her office began accepting nominations for the Wisconsin Heroes award. It's a great way to say thank you to our selfless individuals who strive to make Wisconsin a better place to live. Here's a link to the nomination form.