Wisconsin Democratic legislators released a package of nine bills Tuesday aiming to boost state job numbers, a goal Republicans said they have already promoted with their proposal to streamline the mine permitting process in the state.
The bills focus specifically on better preparing students for jobs by providing technical colleges new flexibility options and increasing funding to help small businesses grow and take on new employees, according to a joint statement from state Senate Minority Leader Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, and state Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, who are both leaders on the released bills. The bills also emphasize keeping jobs in Wisconsin rather than shipping them overseas.
Democrats have continually stressed how Walker has fallen short of his campaign promise to create 250,000 jobs in the state.
Barca said in a statement Thursday there is a “crisis” within the state as families continue to struggle with unemployment, declining wages and economic uncertainty.
“[It’s] a crisis that cannot be ignored,” Barca said. “These bills will help put people back to work, which puts money in middle-class wallets and will help rebuild our economy.”
Larson said Wisconsin should follow a Democratic “recipe” for strengthening the middle class by promoting an educated workforce, a stronger health care system and family-supporting jobs.
However, University of Wisconsin-Madison College Republicans Chair Jeff Snow said the Democrats’ new proposals were nothing but “fluffy language” and a “PR statement,” because Democrats have strongly opposed a contentious mining bill Republicans say would create jobs within the state.
“Democrats are not serious about job creation when they are not allowing an environmentally safe mine to be built in an economically desolate area,” Snow said. “They have marginalized themselves in the state legislature.”
The mine in question could result from proposed legislation currently moving through both houses of the state legislature. The mining bill has faced staunch opposition from Democratic legislators who claim the bill would allow for an environmentally destructive mine in two northern Wisconsin counties.
But Republicans maintain the bill, if passed, would lead to the development of mines in the state, which would create jobs not only in the economically poor northern region but also in southeastern Wisconsin where major mining equipment companies are located.
