MADISON – Tonight, the State Assembly voted to end Wisconsin’s twenty-year old moratorium on metallic mining. Assembly Bill 499, authored by Rep. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield) and Sen. Tom Tiffany (R-Hazelhurst), passed the Assembly by a vote of 53-38 and now moves on to the State Senate for consideration.
Following tonight’s vote, WMC President and CEO Kurt Bauer released the following statement:
“Today is a good day for Wisconsin, and a great day for Wisconsin’s future. The mining industry helped build Wisconsin for generations, and this legislation makes sure that advanced mining operations will help carry our state into the future.
“This legislation will ensure that northern Wisconsin is open to the significant investment that an advanced mining operation can bring. Wisconsin has the manufacturers to supply the mining industry, the regulatory and scientific experts to safely guide the projects, and the skilled labor to make it all come together.
“We thank Rep. Hutton and Sen. Tiffany for putting forward this reform, and we thank their colleagues in the State Assembly for supporting this common sense change.”
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