Assembly GOP Introduce Mining Legislation

Wisconsin has an amazing opportunity knocking at its door:  use part of the state's past for our economic future. On Thursday, Assembly Republicans introduced a comprehensive mining bill that protects the environment and produces thousands of jobs for generations of Wisconsin workers.

Wisconsin has one of the largest iron ore deposits in North America. It's located in Iron County, which happens to be one of the most economically depressed areas in the state.  However, with the implementation of this bill, that area could see a major economic turn around.

The new proposed mine near Hurley is expected to create:

• 3,000+ construction jobs and a $2 billion short-term economic impact.

• 2,800 to 5,600 long-term mining jobs with up to $1.2 billion annual economic impact.

Plus, the mining jobs would have a multiplier effect in creating two to three jobs in other industries in northern Wisconsin. 

The economic benefits also will be enjoyed across the state. Two of the nation's premiere mining equipment manufacturers are located in southeastern Wisconsin.  It's estimated that at least 2,800 other jobs would be created as a direct result of the new mine from the transportation, production and packaging of materials.

Our legislation will simply update our state's metallic laws that were first enacted in 1974 and don't specifically address iron ore mining. The current laws are unpredictable, uncertain and so lengthy that it actually discourages capital investments in mining.

Measures will be taken to protect the environment. The extraction of any material from the earth is a delicate process, but the bill will not compromise the well being of our planet. Our state’s last taconite mine closed in 1983 and has since become a beautiful, pristine, environmentally stable tourist attraction. The quarry there was allowed to fill with water, and is now Wazee Lake. It's the deepest inland lake in Wisconsin, and is known as a clean recreation area for swimmers, divers and hikers alike.

Here's a link to the Wisconsin Assembly Republicans Facebook page to learn more about the mining legislation and the positive impact it will have in Wisconsin. Be sure to like the page when you get there!