Wisconsin board delays rules setting new PFAS restrictions

August 12, 2020 1:28 pm Leave a comment

Environmental regulators in Wisconsin voted Wednesday to table rules setting new restrictions on firefighting foam containing PFAS chemicals.

Tagged with: Joan Ballweg PFAS Steve Nass Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Evers gives up on virus restrictions amid GOP opposition (UPDATE)

May 18, 2020 1:50 pm Leave a comment

Gov. Tony Evers' administration on Monday withdrew its outline for a new emergency rule to manage the coronavirus pandemic after it came under attack by Republicans.

Tagged with: coronavirus Gov. Tony Evers Steve Nass

Regents OK $32.6 million in UW-Madison construction overruns (UPDATE)

February 6, 2020 5:58 pm Leave a comment

A rendering showing plans for the Meat Science and Muscle Biology Laboratory now being built at the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The UW Board of Regents on Friday agreed to increase the budget for the project to $57 million, up from $49.5 million. Similarly, the board approved increasing the budget for the Babcock Hall Dairy Plant and Center for Dairy Research to $72.6 million, up from $46.9 million. State Sen. Steve Nass, a Republican from Whitewater, complained on Thursday that the increases were unacceptable. (Rendering courtesy of Potter Lawson)

A state senator is crying foul over roughly $33 million in cost overruns on two University of Wisconsin System buildings projects.

Tagged with: Babcock Hall Gilbane Building Meat Science Laboratory Mike Mikalsen state Building Commission Steve Nass University of Wisconsin-Madison UW System UW System Board of Regents UW-Madison

GOP lawmaker vows to kill rules to reduce farm manure smell

September 19, 2019 8:58 am Leave a comment

Arlan Van Leeuwen, left, and Arlin Van Groningen, owners of the new New Hope Dairy, chat on Nov. 23, 2016, as they walk near a 1-million-gallon storage tank used to hold raw cow manure at their dairy in Galt, California. Wisconsin Sen. Steve Nass, a Republican lawmaker, vowed Wednesday to block new restrictions on manure storage after farmers complained state agriculture officials never consulted them and the rules are so tough they could end farm expansions in Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

A powerful Republican lawmaker vowed Wednesday to block new state restrictions designed to protect farmers' neighbors from the stench of manure following a flurry of complaints from the Wisconsin agricultural industry.

Tagged with: farms Steve Nass

Wisconsin passes budget after Tesla proviso woos key senator

June 27, 2019 10:26 am Leave a comment

Wisconsin Republicans passed a state budget Wednesday after winning a key legislator's support with a provision to allow Tesla to open dealerships in the state — a goal long pursued by the lawmaker, who sells rebuilt Tesla vehicles and parts.

Tagged with: Chris Kapenga Dave Craig Gov. Tony Evers state budget state Legislature Steve Nass

GOP senator vows to vote against state budget (UPDATE)

June 19, 2019 10:42 am Leave a comment

A Republican Wisconsin state senator says he will vote against the state budget proposal written by his fellow Republicans, leaving the GOP with only one vote to spare in the Senate.

Tagged with: Chris Kapenga David Craig Duey Stroebel roads Scott Fitzgerald state budget Steve Nass Transportation

Design-build in Republican transportation plan (UPDATE)

June 7, 2019 6:27 am Leave a comment

Traffic passes in July through a section of Interstate 94 that’s being rebuilt near Mount Pleasant. Republican lawmakers on Wednesday began circulating about a dozen bills dealing with transportation matters. Among other things, the proposals would allow design-build delivery on state projects. Also, rather than increasing the state’s gas tax, the legislation would have a certain amount of the taxes now collected on sales of vehicles and automotive parts set aside for the state’s transportation fund. (File photo by Kevin Harnack)

Wisconsin Republicans scrapped Gov. Tony Evers’ transportation budget Thursday and replaced it with a plan that would pay for road work using a combination of title- and registration-fee increases, an infusion of general tax dollars and new borrowing. The proposal also would allow the design-build delivery system to be tested out and make various other far-reaching changes to transportation policy.

Tagged with: Craig Thompson Duey Stroebel gas tax Gov. Tony Evers Joint Finance Committee roads state Legislature Steve Nass Transportation vehicle-registration fees

Senators still pushing to exempt local governments, schools from wage laws

June 30, 2015 12:26 pm Leave a comment

A day after Assembly Republicans announced proposed changes to the state’s prevailing wage laws, their fellow party members were planning to meet behind closed doors to discuss possibly exempting local governments from the minimum-compensation requirements.

Tagged with: prevailing wage Steve Nass

Senator shops alternative plan on prevailing wage

June 23, 2015 3:08 pm Leave a comment

Even as state Republicans continue to discuss plans to overhaul the state’s prevailing wage laws, at least one GOP senator has been shopping around an alternative that would exempt all local governments from the compensation requirements.

Tagged with: Duey Stroebel Frank Lasee Howard Marklein prevailing wage Steve Nass