Can State Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, Constituents, Get A Hearing On Frac Sand Bills?

It will be interesting to see if Walkerite GOP legislators now running the show will schedule hearings on a package of bills authored by State. Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, (D-Alma), to apply some public participation and health-focused oversight to dozens of new, large and haphazardly-regulated frac sand mines in the state.

Vinehout, who hails from Alma in the western Wisconsin county of Buffalo where frac sand mining is rife, says the bills are in response to residents who complain that noisy, dusty mining operations have cropped up without notice. So she wants to give local people the right to know about and have a say in such mining matters as hours of operation, blasting policies and the impact on local roads.

If I had to guess, I'd predict no hearings. If the GOP is going to primary iron mine opponent State Sen. Dale Schultz, (R-Richland Center) for opposing Walker and his party colleagues on the iron mine, why would they give Democrat Vinehout anything?

Truth is: Wisconsin being open for business doesn't mean open to bi-partisanship, good scientific information or a priority on citizen input on resource issues (again - - see mine, iron ore - - Penokee Hills).

And some rules are said to be tougher in neighboring Minnesota.

Here is additional information from last week.