Scott Fitzgerald, Majority Leader, Wisconsin State Senate

2/15/2012
Sen. Fitzgerald Refers Mining Bill to JFC
Madison, WI… In an effort to ensure that mining legislation can pass before the end of the session, Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) announced today that he is dissolving the Senate Select Committee on Mining Jobs and referring the Assembly mining bill to the Joint Finance Committee.

Sen. Fitzgerald released the following statement:

“A new mine in Northern Wisconsin has the potential to bring thousands of jobs and real economic relief to an area of Wisconsin that desperately needs it. Wisconsin needs jobs, not politics, and Republicans will continue to fight to get our economy back on its feet.

“Over the past five months, the Select Committee on Mining has taken a close look at a wide range of issues surrounding a potential mine in Northern Wisconsin, and they have heard from a wide range of voices. But we can’t allow the clock to run out on a project that could mean a generation of good-paying jobs and revitalize an entire local economy.

“Sadly, we’re stuck in a hyper-political world where the Democrats are likely to say and do anything to oppose this jobs bill, just for the sake of opposing it. I’m glad to be among leaders in Madison willing to work through distraction and discord to keep job creation as the top goal for Wisconsin.”
1/25/2012
Statement on State of the State
MADISON, WI – Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau), the Senate Majority Leader, released the following statement today on Governor Walker’s State of the State address:

“Wisconsin has two different directions in front of us: progress or politics.

“Under the Democrats, Wisconsin was headed toward a cliff with bad budgets, bigger government and more debt. In just one year, Republicans fixed a $3 billion deficit, cut new debt in half, held the line on taxes and improved our business climate in nearly every ranking.

“On the other hand, the Democrats spent the last year protesting, recalling and playing politics with our business climate. They know that recalls are bad for Wisconsin, but they’re pushing them anyway. For the Democrats, the state of our state won’t ever be good enough unless they’re in the driver’s seat.

“But Wisconsin needs jobs, not politics.”
1/24/2012
Senate Passes Job Training Bill
Bipartisan SB 335 establishes new Technical Education High School Diploma to support WI workforce: lack of skilled workers cited by employers as barrier to job creation.

Madison, WI… High schools in Wisconsin will have a new tool to prepare students for careers after graduation, thanks to a bipartisan bill that passed the Senate this afternoon. According to Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau), Senate Bill 335 passed on a bipartisan voice vote this afternoon, allowing schools to offer Technical Education High School Diplomas.

“The state can’t just snap its fingers and create jobs,” Fitzgerald said. “The reforms we’re passing today are going to mean good-paying jobs – and a stronger workforce – tomorrow. Real reforms like this are an important counterpoint to the culture of politics, recalls and uncertainty the Democrats are pushing on Wisconsin.”

Senate Bill 335 allows high schools to offer vocational classes and job training in the pursuit of a Technical Education High School Diploma, with more intense training and focus in a specific field instead of a one-size-fits-all education. Students must fulfill a vocational education program on top of the traditional course requirements to earn this diploma.

The lack of skilled workers has been cited as a top concern for employers, along with ongoing economic uncertainty and unnecessary political turmoil. A survey last year by ManpowerGroup found that a record 52 percent of U.S. employers have difficulty filling critical positions within their organizations -- up from 14 percent in 2010. Wisconsin is a traditionally manufacturing-heavy state, with 443,000 people currently working in the manufacturing sector. There are currently more than 30,000 job openings on JobCenterofWisconsin.com.

SB 335 passed the Senate on a bipartisan voice vote, and was authored by a Republican in the Senate (Van Wanggaard, R-Racine) and a Democrat in the Assembly.

“This bill wouldn’t have been possible without leadership from Sen. Wanggaard: he did an excellent job working with schools and job creators in his district to make this important reform happen.”

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