MADISON, Wis. (WSAU) – The state Assembly will not vote next week on the controversial mining bill.
Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald’s office says the vote is being delayed until January 26th. That’s a week after the speaker was hoping to get the measure passed.
Fitzgerald spokesman John Jagler says the bill is not in trouble, but amendments are being drafted. For one thing, supporters want the tax revenues from iron ore sales remain in the mine’s local area. Assembly Finance chairman Robin Vos wanted half that money to go Madison.
The measure is designed to speed up the process of approving state permits for new iron ore mines – as Gogebic Taconite considers such a mine in Ashland and Iron counties.
Also, Governor Scott Walker said in one of his year-end media interviews that he would not object if the bill drops the elimination of contested-case hearings, in which opponents can challenge the D-N-R’s decisions. He said the main thing is for the package to preserve the 700-plus jobs the northern Wisconsin mine would create.
