After more than two years of debate, eleven public hearings, and over sixty hours of testimony, mining regulation reform has  cleared the State Legislature.  Senate Bill 1, a bill to bring certainty to the permitting process required for the operation of a mine, was passed by the State Assembly during floor action on Thursday, March 7th.  This follows passage by the State Senate on February 28th.

The reforms made by SB 1 do not provide for the automatic approval of any mine. Any and all future mine proposals will go through the entire permitting and approval process. Potential mining operations will still have to garner the approval of the Wisconsin DNR, Army Corps of Engineers, EPA, and US Fish & Wildlife Service. Through the due diligence of these environmental protection agencies, future permits may be issued to allow Wisconsin to be globally competitive for jobs. Notably, SB 1 did garner the support of many of our state’s construction trade unions, including the Wisconsin State Council of Carpenters, the Iron Workers District Council of North Central States, the Wisconsin Pipe Trades Association, and Operating Engineers Local #139.

During the entire course of this debate, amendments from both sides of the aisle were made to both last session’s bill and the current SB 1. Earlier this year, I traveled with a bipartisan group of my Assembly colleagues – 6 Democrats and 6 Republicans – to the iron ore range in the Penokee Hills, and we had a productive dialogue there also.  The reforms passed today are the product of countless hours of scrutiny and debate, and will allow our state to return to our mining heritage.
 

The public is invited to play an active role in the implementation of Wisconsin’s Deer Trustee Report through direct participation in a series of meetings hosted by the Department of Natural Resources, starting this Saturday March 9, in Stevens Point. The meeting will take place at UW-Stevens Point’s Lee S. Dreyfus University Center, Alumni Room (350), from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is the first of seven meetings to develop action plans for moving recommendations in the 2012 report forward with the intent of enhancing deer management in the state.

The report contains 62 recommendations assembled by Dr. James Kroll, along with Drs. Gary Alt and David Guynn, who were commissioned by the Governor as the state’s deer trustees to perform an objective evaluation of deer management practices. Four action teams have been formed to help move ideas from recommendations to implementation on the ground. Each action team will be responsible for reviewing an area-specific grouping of recommendations pulled from the report. The team focus areas are: Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP); herd health and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD); regulations and seasons; and science and research.

Action team meetings are currently all scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the UW-Stevens Point location above. The additional dates are April 6 and 27, May 18, June 8 and 29, and July 20, 2013. All meetings are scheduled to be completed by July 20 in order to meet deadlines for the official rule making process.

More information and the full report are available at the DNR website, use the search keywords “deer trustee report.” For a map of the UW-Stevens Point Campus, please click here.
 

The regular tax deadline of April 15th is quickly approaching. One option for state taxes is Wisconsin’s e-file, a secure and confidential online service available from the state Department of Revenue. DOR’S e-file fill-in forms are always free to obtain and file, while some tax software companies charge their subscribers a fee to e-file state returns.

For those who prefer or require a hard copy form, there is more information on the DOR’s Forms page. Individual income tax forms and instructions are also available at public libraries throughout the state. Individuals can also request that a form be sent to them by mail by calling (608) 266-1961 and selecting option 3.


 

If you received mail notification that you were awarded a Spring Turkey permit through the drawing, you will be able to buy your 2013 turkey license starting March 6 when all the new licenses can be purchased. You can also submit your applications for the 2013 Fall Turkey and 2014 Spring Turkey drawings. Just be ready to give the sales clerk the zone and time period you want to hunt when buying your applications. The turkey drawing application choices are now submitted at time of purchase just like all other DNR drawing applications.

If you want to verify if you won a Spring Turkey permit, you can check your account on the DNR’s 24-Hour License Center or contact the DNR at 1-888-WDNRINFo (1-888-936-7463) where staff are available 7 days per week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Recently, Rep. Rob Swearingen and I had the opportunity to welcome students from Nicolet Technical College to the State Capitol, where they participated in "UW Posters in the Rotunda."  The students presented information on their recent studies, including criminal justice research and service learning in Guatemala.

Rep. Czaja and Rep. Rob Swearingen welcome Nicolet Tech students to the State Capitol