Republicans Pander to Big Business Lobby, Leaving Local Communities Behind

February 23, 2018

MADISON – State Representative Lisa Subeck (D – Madison) released the following statement today after the Assembly passed Assembly Bill 748, a Republican bill which takes away the ability of local communities to enact ordinances regarding living wages, workforce protections, and other measures that ensure fairness in the workplace. The bill would add to the 162 measures already enacted by Governor Walker and Republicans that are unfunded mandates on local cities, villages, towns, or counties or that prevent local governments from making decisions on behalf of their communities.

“Republicans are once again doing the bidding of the special interest lobbyists who represent big corporations and national chain stores by taking away the ability of local communities to set fair employment standards based on their own needs and values. While the state has an important role in protecting our workforce and enforcing workplace standards, we should set the floor, not the ceiling on things like fair employment standards and living wages. At the eleventh hour, Republicans attached an Amendment that carves out Foxconn from the bill, proving the fact that a one size fits all approach from the state will not work. We have to empower our local communities to innovate. Democrats continue standing up for the regular folks in our local communities, even as Republicans engage in a race to the bottom on behalf of big money special interests.”