By Andrew Cook and Pat Osborne The Wisconsin Supreme Court has issued a decision that is likely to negatively affect not just the aggregate industry, but other related industries. The Court’s decision broadens Wisconsin towns’ authority to regulate certain types of land uses under the guise of its police powers, rather than through a zoning […]
Court Broadens Towns’ Authority to Regulate Non-Metallic Mining through Police Powers
Date Fri, Feb. 10, 2012 - 12:01pm By Hamilton
EPA Will Designate Kenosha County as Nonattainment for Ozone
Date Fri, Feb. 3, 2012 - 5:35pm By Hamilton
Citing data from the state of Illinois, the EPA has announced it intends to revise its proposed designation for Kenosha County, and recommend it be designated nonattainment for the 2008 8-hour ozone standard. This decision by the EPA is unwelcome, as nonattainment designations carry with them substantial regulatory and related economic burdens. Background Section 109 […]
The Wisconsin Scorecard: How Wisconsin Compares to Other States
Date Thu, Feb. 2, 2012 - 3:23pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Scorecard is a unique new publication from the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau that provides data on how Wisconsin compares to the other 49 states on a variety of measures. The Scorecard includes 44 rankings organized into four umbrella sections: Demographic and Social, Health and Education, Government Finance and Economic, and Environment and Energy […]
Wall Street Journal Editorial Discusses Unwarranted Political Attacks on Koch Industries
Date Wed, Feb. 1, 2012 - 5:23pm By Hamilton
The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed today written by Theodore Olson, former Solicitor General from 2001 to 2004, which addresses the relentless attacks on Koch Industries and its shareholders throughout the past several years. The op-ed notes that Koch Industries and its shareholders have been singled out because of Koch’s longstanding and firm commitment […]
State Regulation of Frac Sand Mining
Date Wed, Feb. 1, 2012 - 11:03am By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) this week denied a rulemaking petition by opponents of silica sand mining in western and northern Wisconsin. The same day it denied the rulemaking request, the DNR issued a comprehensive Silica Sand Mining Study. Sand mining is becoming increasingly more common in Wisconsin due to a surge in […]
Assembly Passes Mining Bill
Date Tue, Jan. 31, 2012 - 5:21pm By Hamilton
Last week, the Wisconsin Assembly passed the controversial iron ore mining legislation on a party-line vote with all the Republicans voting for AB 426 and all Democrats opposing it. Proponents of the bill argue that the legislation will bring badly needed jobs to northern Wisconsin, where mining company Gogebic Taconite is planning to construct an […]
Survey of Mining Executives Reveals Perception that Wisconsin is a Worse Place to Mine than Third World Countries
Date Tue, Jan. 31, 2012 - 3:40pm By Hamilton
Though Wisconsin has a rich history of mining, current perceptions of the state’s regulations and the administration of those regulations makes that history seem mythical. The state’s current reputation makes it one of the least likely mining sites in the world. Since 1997, the Fraser Institute has conducted an annual survey of metal mining and […]
Governor’s Conference on Economic Development
Date Tue, Jan. 31, 2012 - 3:22pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Economic Development Association’s 17th Annual Governor’s Conference on Economic Development will be held February 8-10 in Madison. The topic of this year’s conference is “The Power of Deliberate Practice”. Three conference sessions will illustrate how Wisconsin can increase its productivity by helping its companies compete, nationally and globally. Mature and Emerging Clusters Forestry, […]
Recall Update
Date Tue, Jan. 31, 2012 - 5:26am By Hamilton
It is all but certain Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, and four Wisconsin State Senators will face recall elections in 2012. Certification of the signatures is an ongoing process playing out in the courts and online, where you can watch Government Accountability Board employees work to verify signatures. Governor & Lieutenant Governor Recall […]
January Natural Resources Board Meeting
Date Thu, Jan. 26, 2012 - 4:47pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board met January 24th and 25th in Madison. Important topics addressed by the Board included approval of an economic impact solicitation process, a reduction of the bear harvest quota for 2012, and discussions of EPA-identified deficiencies in the state’s water program and frac sand mining. On the 24th, the Board heard […]