Last week, a bill came out that would allow iron mining operations to radically undermine Wisconsin’s natural resource protections.This fast-moving proposal is in response to a proposed mine in the Penokee Range in Iron County. They’re totally rewriting Wisconsin’s mining laws for one out-of-state mining company that’s never developed an iron mine, and never worked in Wisconsin – To learn more about bill LR 2035 and to take action to oppose it visit the Conservation Voters Action Center.
Water Quality
UPDATE: On Tuesday, May 24, the Republican members of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC) voted to overturn Wisconsin’s rules for controlling polluted runoff, and set the stage for routing recently approved rules to control algae-causing phosphorus and to protect lakes and rivers by managing shoreland development.Without any discussion, JFC voted to direct the Department of Natural Resources to repeal and recreate NR 151, the state’s rules for controlling nonpoint pollution. Contact the Joint Finance Committee by JUNE 2nd.
The budget bill weakens current pollution laws, allowing for greater polluted runoff, including phosphorous, into our waterways. Polluted runoff –fertilizer and manure from farm fields, and oil, metals and other toxic stuff from city streets — is the biggest source of pollution to Wisconsin’s waterways. This leads to more algae in our lakes and streams. Removal of funding from well testing programs throughout the state would put ground water at further risk. Cleanups cost far more than prevention.
A budget bill should simply set the budget. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau has confirmed that many of these changes are non-fiscal items, and will not save the state any money. Long-term effects and non-budget items need discussion.
Keep oversight of commercial construction site erosion control in DNR.
Erosion from construction sites is the major source of sediment in our waters, and the budget moves this responsibility to a department with no experience or expertise in erosion control.
Maintain the rules for limiting phosphorus in waterways.
Phosphorus, the leading cause of algae growth, is in fertilizer, manure and wastewater. Just last summer, with broad support, new rules were approved and are now being set aside without having a chance to work.
Maintain the rules for reducing polluted runoff from cities.
Since 2002, state rules have required cities to work towards reducing polluted runoff, and just last year, the rules were revised to give cities more time and flexibility to hit the goal. Many cities have spent lots to get there, but the proposed budget lets laggards off the hook.
Rural Concerns
Local Control: Loss of local control occurs for farmers and rural communities by the governor’s takeover of state regulatory agencies’ rulemaking, including veto power on Livestock Siting Law rules that affect factory farms or concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
Rural Economy: While cutting state funds shared with towns and counties, the budget bill takes the right of local governments to set tax rates and to set compensation for teachers and government workers, effectively causing further erosion of our schools and public services.
Bargaining rights: Cutting public workers’ collective bargaining rights is an affront to the collective bargaining process in which family farmers participate through cooperatives and pooling.
Recycling: UPDATE: The funding for this program will be restored to some level.
Bill eliminates state recycling requirements and halts all funding for municipal and county-run recycling programs. Our recycling programs earn money for Wisconsin.
Department of Natural Resources: Budget bill cuts funding to the Department of Natural Resources by nearly 16%. This is the department that implements and enforces conservation laws and manages and maintains our resources.
Farmland: Bill eliminates the program to preserve farmland, which will not help create rural community jobs in our state.
Energy: Bill eliminates programs that attract green businesses to Wisconsin and help businesses to save money through energy efficiency.
Health care: The budget repair bill would threaten Badger Care, on which more than 11,000 state farm-family members and a total of 62,000 working Wisconsinites depend for health insurance coverage.
Economic Development
Tax breaks for the wealthy: The Governor’s recently enacted tax breaks for corporate campaign donors have grown our debt at a time when he intends to impose more sacrifices on working and rural families. Further, the budget cuts capital gains tax for outside investors in Wisconsin. For more details click here.
Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin Grants
UPDATE: The funding for this program has been restored at the $200,000 level.
These grants have a huge impact. 38 new jobs and 2.7 million in increased sales just in the first two years of the program. While spending only $447,700, that’s over a 5:1 return on investment in just two years!
Farm to School
Farm to School programs support the health of Wisconsin children, farms and communities by connecting schools with local farms.Here are some talking points.
Why Farm to School Matters
Fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods help fight childhood obesity.
Pairing healthy eating with agriculture and nutrition education encourages kids to develop healthy habits.
Good nutrition fosters healthy growth and development.
Economic Benefits of Farm to School
It’s only fair that my tax money stay here in Wisconsin to help improve WI’s economy.School food service spends millions annually on food. Why wouldn’t we buy local foods and support our local economies whenever possible?
Schools are a guranteed market for farmers in every community.
Barriers to farm to school can be overcome with small seed grants.
There are many ways to make your views known, and the more the merrier!
Contact Your Legislators
First and foremost and easiest of all is to contact your legislators directly. You can find contact information for your senator and representative here , and register your comments with a quick email or phone call. See above for talking points on key issues including water quality, stewardship, farm to school and the buy local grant program.
Contact the Joint Finance Committee
The Joint Finance Committee of the Wisconsin State Legislature is responsible for detailed review of the state budget. It is especially important to contact your legislator if they are a member of the committee, but the entire committee should hear from you:
You can make your points in person. The Joint Finance Committee has held four all-day hearings. However, a number of legislators are dismayed that the Joint Finance Committee is holding so few public hearings and only during the day when most people are at work. They have organized additional hearings around the state. For more details click here.
Bring 20 copies of your comments for the legislators.
La Crosse – Monday, April 25th (1:00pm – 7:00pm) UW-LaCrosse, 1725 State St, Cartwright Center, Rm 339. Click here to read VSN’s testimony!
Appleton – Monday, April 25th (1:00pm – 7:00pm)
Kenosha – Monday, May 9th (10:00am – 3:00pm)
Advocacy 101
Whether you email, call or appear in person, the same basic rules apply:
· Always give your full name and address – your legislator needs to know you live in their district.
· Tell your story – decision makers want to know why you care. Whether it’s concern for your favorite river, your property value or the future of your children, making it personal goes a long way.
· Be clear, concise, to the point and polite – you can use the three talking points above, or contact us for more background and assistance.
2011 Budget Issues
2011 Legislation
UPDATE: Don’t Undermine WI!
Last week, a bill came out that would allow iron mining operations to radically undermine Wisconsin’s natural resource protections.This fast-moving proposal is in response to a proposed mine in the Penokee Range in Iron County. They’re totally rewriting Wisconsin’s mining laws for one out-of-state mining company that’s never developed an iron mine, and never worked in Wisconsin – To learn more about bill LR 2035 and to take action to oppose it visit the Conservation Voters Action Center.
Water Quality
UPDATE: On Tuesday, May 24, the Republican members of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC) voted to overturn Wisconsin’s rules for controlling polluted runoff, and set the stage for routing recently approved rules to control algae-causing phosphorus and to protect lakes and rivers by managing shoreland development.Without any discussion, JFC voted to direct the Department of Natural Resources to repeal and recreate NR 151, the state’s rules for controlling nonpoint pollution. Contact the Joint Finance Committee by JUNE 2nd.
The budget bill weakens current pollution laws, allowing for greater polluted runoff, including phosphorous, into our waterways. Polluted runoff –fertilizer and manure from farm fields, and oil, metals and other toxic stuff from city streets — is the biggest source of pollution to Wisconsin’s waterways. This leads to more algae in our lakes and streams. Removal of funding from well testing programs throughout the state would put ground water at further risk. Cleanups cost far more than prevention.
A budget bill should simply set the budget. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau has confirmed that many of these changes are non-fiscal items, and will not save the state any money. Long-term effects and non-budget items need discussion.
For More Updates check these sites:
League of Conservation Voters
River Alliance
Keep oversight of commercial construction site erosion control in DNR.
Erosion from construction sites is the major source of sediment in our waters, and the budget moves this responsibility to a department with no experience or expertise in erosion control.
Maintain the rules for limiting phosphorus in waterways.
Phosphorus, the leading cause of algae growth, is in fertilizer, manure and wastewater. Just last summer, with broad support, new rules were approved and are now being set aside without having a chance to work.
Maintain the rules for reducing polluted runoff from cities.
Since 2002, state rules have required cities to work towards reducing polluted runoff, and just last year, the rules were revised to give cities more time and flexibility to hit the goal. Many cities have spent lots to get there, but the proposed budget lets laggards off the hook.
Rural Concerns
Local Control: Loss of local control occurs for farmers and rural communities by the governor’s takeover of state regulatory agencies’ rulemaking, including veto power on Livestock Siting Law rules that affect factory farms or concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
Rural Economy: While cutting state funds shared with towns and counties, the budget bill takes the right of local governments to set tax rates and to set compensation for teachers and government workers, effectively causing further erosion of our schools and public services.
Bargaining rights: Cutting public workers’ collective bargaining rights is an affront to the collective bargaining process in which family farmers participate through cooperatives and pooling.
Recycling: UPDATE: The funding for this program will be restored to some level.
Bill eliminates state recycling requirements and halts all funding for municipal and county-run recycling programs. Our recycling programs earn money for Wisconsin.
Department of Natural Resources: Budget bill cuts funding to the Department of Natural Resources by nearly 16%. This is the department that implements and enforces conservation laws and manages and maintains our resources.
Farmland: Bill eliminates the program to preserve farmland, which will not help create rural community jobs in our state.
Energy: Bill eliminates programs that attract green businesses to Wisconsin and help businesses to save money through energy efficiency.
Health care: The budget repair bill would threaten Badger Care, on which more than 11,000 state farm-family members and a total of 62,000 working Wisconsinites depend for health insurance coverage.
Economic Development
Tax breaks for the wealthy: The Governor’s recently enacted tax breaks for corporate campaign donors have grown our debt at a time when he intends to impose more sacrifices on working and rural families. Further, the budget cuts capital gains tax for outside investors in Wisconsin. For more details click here.
Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin Grants
UPDATE: The funding for this program has been restored at the $200,000 level.
These grants have a huge impact. 38 new jobs and 2.7 million in increased sales just in the first two years of the program. While spending only $447,700, that’s over a 5:1 return on investment in just two years!
Farm to School
Farm to School programs support the health of Wisconsin children, farms and communities by connecting schools with local farms.Here are some talking points.
Why Farm to School Matters
Fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods help fight childhood obesity.
Pairing healthy eating with agriculture and nutrition education encourages kids to develop healthy habits.
Good nutrition fosters healthy growth and development.
Economic Benefits of Farm to School
It’s only fair that my tax money stay here in Wisconsin to help improve WI’s economy.School food service spends millions annually on food. Why wouldn’t we buy local foods and support our local economies whenever possible?
Schools are a guranteed market for farmers in every community.
Barriers to farm to school can be overcome with small seed grants.
There are many ways to make your views known, and the more the merrier!
Contact Your Legislators
First and foremost and easiest of all is to contact your legislators directly. You can find contact information for your senator and representative here , and register your comments with a quick email or phone call. See above for talking points on key issues including water quality, stewardship, farm to school and the buy local grant program.
Contact the Joint Finance Committee
The Joint Finance Committee of the Wisconsin State Legislature is responsible for detailed review of the state budget. It is especially important to contact your legislator if they are a member of the committee, but the entire committee should hear from you:
Senator Alberta Darling, Co-Chair Representative Robin Vos, Co-Chair
Senator Luther Olsen Representative Dan Meyer
Senator Sheila Harsdorf Representative Dan LeMahieu
Senator Joe Leibham Representative John Nygren
Senator Glenn Grothman Representative Pat Strachota
Senator Randy Hopper Representative Joel Kleefisch
Senator Lena Taylor Representative Tamara Grigsby
Senator Robert Jauch Representative Jennifer Shilling
Attend a Hearing
You can make your points in person. The Joint Finance Committee has held four all-day hearings. However, a number of legislators are dismayed that the Joint Finance Committee is holding so few public hearings and only during the day when most people are at work. They have organized additional hearings around the state. For more details click here.
Bring 20 copies of your comments for the legislators.
La Crosse – Monday, April 25th (1:00pm – 7:00pm) UW-LaCrosse, 1725 State St, Cartwright Center, Rm 339. Click here to read VSN’s testimony!
Appleton – Monday, April 25th (1:00pm – 7:00pm)
Kenosha – Monday, May 9th (10:00am – 3:00pm)
Advocacy 101
Whether you email, call or appear in person, the same basic rules apply:
· Always give your full name and address – your legislator needs to know you live in their district.
· Tell your story – decision makers want to know why you care. Whether it’s concern for your favorite river, your property value or the future of your children, making it personal goes a long way.
· Be clear, concise, to the point and polite – you can use the three talking points above, or contact us for more background and assistance.