From increasing efficiency in school buildings to funding carbon capture technology, Wisconsin Democrats are seeking to stave off the effects of climate change at a statewide level with a series of bills introduced Thursday.
Electric buses, required biking and walking lanes and efforts to eliminate the disproportionate harm to communities of color were all elements of the package of 20 bills the lawmakers brought forward.
“We have to tackle climate change at every level,” said Assembly Democratic Leader Greta Neubauer, who introduced the package of bills at a press conference Thursday. “There's a lot that we can do here to make sure that Wisconsinites are prepared for the impacts of climate change, and that we are doing our part to address the challenge.”
The Forward on Climate Package comprises legislation ranging from infrastructure updates to job training programs.
Rep. Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, introduced Wisconsin Democrats' climate package Thursday, Nov. 16, calling the bills an effort to mitigate a "climate catastrophe."
“We understand that we need to tackle climate change in all sectors,” Neubauer, D-Racine, said. “And there are opportunities for us in agriculture and manufacturing and tourism and so many other industries across the state if we address climate change and create good jobs.”
Two bills, which were highlighted during Thursday’s press conference by Madison Democratic Rep. Francesca Hong, set a path for what Hong referred to as “future-focused transportation.”
“(The bills) envision low carbon public transit, electrification, cost-effective charging infrastructure, complete streets and equitable clean transportation options for all Wisconsinites,” Hong told reporters. “By aligning our transportation plans with their environmental goals, we can minimize fuel consumption and address air pollution while fostering economic growth and sustainable urban planning.”
The “Complete Streets” initiative requires that all new road construction proposals include infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists.
Another bill would create what lawmakers are calling the Wisconsin Climate Corps, a program aimed at providing training and workforce development in climate-related job fields.
“A green jobs training program will promote economic growth by offering not only employment and professional development for Wisconsinites interested in climate resiliency, but by also supporting the transition to clean energy and prioritizing the creation of good family sustaining jobs right here in Wisconsin,” Hong said.
The bills have been years in the making, Neubauer said, dating to 2019 when Gov. Tony Evers created his climate task force. The climate board, chaired by former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, released a series of recommendations in 2020 — many of which have served as the foundation for the legislation Neubauer and others introduced Thursday.
“Through that work, we traveled around the state. We heard public comment from people across Wisconsin, and the bills arose largely out of those conversations with people,” said Neubauer, who served on the 2019 task force.
A key tenet in the package of legislation requires lawmakers to investigate how climate change exacerbates pre-existing inequities — an emphasis brought up by Hong while speaking at the press conference.
“Maybe had we been better listeners to our Indigenous communities … had we centered their leadership more, we may not be facing the climate crises we are seeing now,” Hong said. “It's imperative that we build a Wisconsin where every community not only survives, but thrives in the face of a changing climate.”
Madison Democratic Rep. Francesca Hong, pictured here during Cap Times Idea Fest 2023, called on lawmakers to uplift the voices of underserved communities in the ongoing fight against climate change while introducing a package of 20 bills Thursday, Nov. 16.
While international efforts like the Paris Climate Accords and federal moves including President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act seek to approach climate policy on a larger scale, Neubauer said it’s critical to look at the problem from a more localized perspective.
“Right now, we are not getting the benefit of the good jobs in Wisconsin that could be created by addressing our infrastructure challenges and the need to build resiliency in our communities,” Neubauer said. “We could be producing more clean energy in Wisconsin than we are if the Legislature took action. And we could be reducing our longstanding inequities, economic inequities and racial inequities.”
Neubauer told the Cap Times Thursday afternoon the package of bills had gained broad support from both Democratic caucuses in the Senate and Assembly with every member having coauthored at least one of the 20 bills.
The package has not received any Republican support thus far, Neubauer said Thursday morning, but she’s hopeful that might change.
“We know there has been significant interest in looking at the connections between the agriculture sector and tourism,” Neubauer said. “We're going to continue to talk to our colleagues and see if there are bills that we can get passed.”
