Democrats Shut out of Mining Bill. Republicans wish they would go away...

Republicans must think we're a "red" state now.

Apparently so, because the legislature won't even acknowledge we exist. Our pesky attempts to help run government have been exorcised:

jsonline: The Legislature's Joint Finance Committee voted, 12-4, on a party-line vote, to approve a mining bill favored by Republicans … Democrats sought changes in the legislation aimed at providing more environmental protections and a greater public voice in the state's review process for mines. Republicans rejected them … they beat back six amendments proposed by Democrats.

I thought these two points were the most glaring admissions allowed by this bill:

One of the changes offered by Democrats would restore a prohibition in current law that prevents the state from approving a mine if there's any chance it will harm public health. New Berlin Republican Senator Mary Lazich said that blanket restriction would effectively block any mine, "because this amendment just guts the whole process: It's over. There's no mining when you put in such absolutes because these type of absolutes just don't exist."

No mining from a "RESTORED" prohibition, one that has been there for decades? But this is my favorite piece of lunacy:

Also rejected was an effort by Democrats, including Jon Richards of Milwaukee, to delete part of the bill that says adverse impacts to wetlands are presumed necessary in iron mining, "If you're concerned about the environment, read your own bill. Because this bill doesn't protect it. As a matter of fact, it presumes that it's necessary, that sometimes [it's] just 'too bad, so sad, with an open pit mine you're going to have adverse environmental impacts.'"

From WPT, this audio:



Wisconsin’s own Michelle Bachmann had this obvious observation:

Sen. Alberta Darling, co-chair of the panel said, "The contention is that we are disregarding all of our environmental safeguards. It sort of gets at our integrity."

Ya think? And while PPP has established itself as an accurate non-partisan polling source:

The poll by Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling shows that 62% of those taking the survey opposed the legislation; 29% support it.

When those who support a lousy mining bill is only at 20 percent, you know something is wrong. I take that back, the public knows it’s wrong, not our Republicans Authority. 

To them, it’s another victory. A check mark in the win column. And really, that’s all that matters to my conservative friend in Milwaukee, who would prefer not talking about the details.