GOP introduces long economic stimulus bill list
10:26 PM 11/11/03
Phil Brinkman State government reporter

After weeks of wrangling over a handful of volatile social bills, Republicans introduced a deluge of business deregulation bills Tuesday they said would stimulate the economy and create jobs. <

"We have listened to the business community time and time again to find out what we need to do to create a climate that creates jobs," said Senate Majority Leader Mary Panzer, R-West Bend. <

The bill (AB655) makes sweeping changes to the state Department of Natural Resources' authority to regulate air and water pollution. <

It also requires expedited processing of permit applications by the DNR and the state Public Service Commission on certain projects. <

Republicans have scheduled a hearing on the measure for 10:15 a.m. today before the Legislature's budget committee. <

Panzer said she hoped to push the package through this week. But that looked to be a tall order: Democrats, who have their own list of economic development bills, are balking at being asked to approve the huge package before any public hearings have been held. <

"Just the volume of the legislation, it's almost like a mini budget," said Senate Minority Leader Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton. "It's irresponsible to expect us to do something this big at the last second." <

Dan Leistikow, spokesman for Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, said the governor thinks some of the proposals have merit. <

"But the one idea the governor will not accept is presumptive approval (for permits), which will lower our standards and damage the environment," he said. <

Also Tuesday, the Senate approved SB300, which reforms and streamlines regulations governing the construction of power plants and transmission lines in the state. <

Republicans in the Assembly announced they plan to act on their own series of economic development bills today. <

Those include measures creating an income and franchise tax credit for dairy farms, allowing towns to create tax incremental financing districts and creating an apprenticeship tax credit. <