State Senate Adopts Pro-Conservation Budget, Group Says

The Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters sums up the Senate version of the State Budget as a pro-conservation document, with these highlights, according to the Madison-based group:

“Tonight [Tuesday] the State Senate approved measures that will benefit every Wisconsin citizen…whether they live near a landfill filled with Minnesota’s waste, whether they hunt or fish, whether they drink water or breathe air,” said Anne Sayers, Program Director of the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters.

"The pro-conservation budget passed by the state Senate took the following actions to protect Wisconsin ’s natural resources:

"Land Protection: The Senate version of the state budget reauthorizes the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund for another decade and restores the purchasing power of the program to allow it to contend with ever-increasing land prices.

"Out-of-State Waste Reduction: The Senate version of the state budget increases the recycling tipping fee to $10 to deter out-of-state waste, while also providing $47.4 million of the revenue needed by local entities to run recycling programs.

"Polluted Runoff Reduction: The Senate version of the state budget provides $25 million in funds to battle polluted runoff, Wisconsin ’s number one water quality problem.

"Contaminated River Clean-Up: The Senate version of the state budget provides $17 million to clean-up contaminated sediments in Milwaukee-area rivers."

Renewable Energy Loan and Grant Program Creation: The Senate version of the state budget provides $30 million for the Renewable Energy Grants and Loans program dedicated to investing in Wisconsin renewable energy technologies.

"Clean Energy Bill Protection: The Senate version of the state budget corrected an action by the Joint Finance Committee that would have undermined Wisconsin ’s prized Clean Energy Bill. The deleted provision would have encouraged Wisconsin to purchase power from Manitoba Power rather than creating jobs here by generating that power in Wisconsin.

"Voting for a pro-conservation budget were Senators Breske, Carpenter, Coggs, Decker, Erpenbach, Hansen, Jauch, Kreitlow, Lassa, Lehman, Miller, Plale, Risser, Robson, Sullivan, Taylor, Vinehout, and Wirch.

"Voting against a pro-conservation budget were Senators Cowles, Darling, Ellis, Fitzgerald, Grothman, Harsdorf, Kanavas, Kapanke, Kedzie, Lasee, Lazich, Leibham, Olsen, Roessler, and Schultz.

"The state budget will next be considered by the 99 members of the state Assembly.
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"The Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to electing conservation leaders to the state legislature and encouraging lawmakers to champion conservation policies that effectively protect Wisconsin 's public health and natural resources."

(Note: See yesterday's post about a separate Senate action blocking freeway expansion just west of Miller Park, at the Story Hill neighborhood, which would conserve public transportation funding, precious real estate and Milwaukee County tax base, too).