Americans for Prosperity Provides "Grassroots" for Controversial Wisconsin Mining Bill
http://www.prwatch.org/node/11956David Koch's Americans for Prosperity (AFP) chapter in Wisconsin is throwing its support behind a proposed mine in the state's far North. A mining bill -- almost identical to the one that failed last year in the Wisconsin State Senate -- was reintroduced this week in the state legislature. What changed? Republicans picked up two more Senate seats in 2012, which may give mining supporters the slim margin they need.
Gov. Scott Walker with mine workersSB 1/AB 1, commonly called the "Mining Reform Bill," is a renewed effort by supporters of a Florida-based mining company called Gogebic Taconite, or GTAC, to loosen environmental rules so the company can build an open-pit, iron ore mine in rural Northern Wisconsin. The mine is a top priority for Governor Scott Walker who is stung by continued reports placing Wisconsin at the bottom of the nation in terms of job creation. He featured the mine and a small group of miners in hard hats in his State of the Union address last week.
Curiously, the original bill was introduced last session without a sponsor, and it was later uncovered that GTAC itself had helped draft the legislation. This year's incarnation of the bill tracks the same legislative language as before and allows iron-ore mining companies to apply for state permits without permitting "the state of Wisconsin or citizens to challenge the information provided by the mining company in any of their documents," according to the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters. Essentially, this would allow GTAC and other mining companies to procure permits in short order without a thorough examination of the environmental impacts of their mines on water resources and communities around the state.
AFP Gathers Mine Supporters from Southeastern Wisconsin
The bill has sparked controversy and heated debate this year, just as it did last year, but with a few unlikely players throwing in their support. Americans for Prosperity, David Koch's Tea Party-affiliated astroturf group, organized buses to carry some thirty-odd supporters of the mine to the Capitol from Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Racine, Waukesha and Milwaukee. The group gathered in the Wisconsin State Capitol to get their talking points from Bill Williams, CEO of GTAC.
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= new reply since forum marked as read
I was curious to see what that articulate paragon, the AFP Communications Director, David Fladeboe (mentioned
in the article) looked like.
Here he is:
He's a registered lobbyist. His lobbyist info page lists him as Deputy Director of AFP. It may be of interest because
I think there are rules that lobbyists bringing members of the public to testify to their elected representatives in
the legislature are supposed to follow..... Something along the lines of they're only supposed to contact their state
senators and assembly people as individual voters. Not as part of an organized lobbying effort. But there's a little
more to it than that I wish I could remember.
https://lobbying.wi.gov/Mobile/LobbyistInformation/2013%20REG/Information/6482
