Water Advocates Need Support Of Green Bay Republican

I noted the other day that "sometimes moderate" GOP state senators like Luther Olsen, Neal Kedzie and Rob Cowles could be persuaded to oppose the mining bill that exempts iron mining from important state water preservation procedures and standards.

Cowles, from Green Bay, has a good environmental record and stood steadfast on Great Lakes and other water issues.

He is also on the Board of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, formed in response to ALEC efforts to weaken environmental laws.

NCEL was conceived by state legislators for state legislators in 1996 as an informal, non-partisan response to a well-funded and highly organized effort of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). ALEC is an organization of conservative state legislators and corporate lobbyists who, together, craft legislation that in many instances seeks to weaken existing environmental regulations or enact polices that benefit polluting companies at the expense of the environment and public health.

So I am pleased to see the Madison Capital Times editorially calling on Cowles to vote "no" on the mining bill:

Sen. Rob Cowles, the Green Bay area Republican who has been a voice of reason on environmental issues, must reject the mining bill...