Notes from the West Wing
By
State Representative Garey Bies
Busy Time at the Capitol
It’s mid December and the Holiday Season will soon be upon us. I hope that this season brings happiness and joy to everyone in the First Assembly District! Normally things are on the quiet side at the Capitol this time of year, but with the late budget, work that normally would have been taken care of in the fall has been pushed to later in the year. So for this edition of Notes from the West Wing, I thought I would provide a brief update on some of the current legislative activity.
First up is the Propane Safety Act. I authored this legislation with Senators Alan Lasee and Jeff Plale to establish new regulations on liquefied petroleum gas, is progressing through the legislative process. On the Senate side, the proposal was unanimously supported in the Utilities Committee and is now awaiting review by the Joint Committee on Finance. In the Assembly, the legislation is scheduled for a public hearing in committee on December 18th. I would expect the legislation to move quickly through the committee and to the floor of the Assembly fairly early in 2008.
Unfortunately, not all my legislation is moving so swiftly through the process. My legislation to restrict the sale of fertilizer containing phosphorous is currently stalled. Opponents of the bill want certain provisions to apply to components of fertilizer other than phosphorous. For me and my lead co-author in the Senate, this is simply not an option. This legislation is about phosphorous. I maintain hope that keeping up the pressure will ultimately result in some movement for the legislation.
Back to more promising news, my legislation concerning the identification of wetlands and services by the Department of Natural Resources for that purpose is currently in drafting after a long research process. The goal of the legislation is two fold. First, the legislation aims to increase awareness of landowners of the potential for the existence of wetlands on their property. Second, the legislation provides options for landowners to have the Department of Natural Resources consult as to the actual existence of wetlands on their property. These services would include both map review and onsite evaluations. This would fall short of a wetland delineation, which for many is a significant unnecessary expense.
Lastly, I just want to provide an update on the proposed shoreland zoning rules, also known as NR 115. The latest version of the proposed rules has not yet been submitted to the legislature for review. According to the Chair of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee, the rules are expected some time early next year. The proposed rules constitute some significant changes for shoreland property owners. Several of you have contacted my office with your thoughts on the proposed rule changes and I appreciate that. One of my main concerns with the new rules is the increased regulation and control the Department is trying to gain over private property. This is a Department that fails to consistently apply the rules and regulations it currently oversees, adding additional rules is problematic. Take beach grooming for example. The Department maintains it is opposed to beach grooming because beaches should be kept in their natural state, unless of course the beach in question is state property. Make landowners jump through all kinds of hoops to get a permit to clean their beach and then send out a warden to known permit holders to harass someone simply doing their job. If the DNR is so opposed to beach grooming, perhaps they should practice what they preach. While we must work to protect the water quality of Wisconsin’s waters, the government cannot unduly impose upon private landowners in the process.
Well, that is enough for this update. If you have further questions or would like more information about legislation I am working on, including what I’ve mentioned above, be sure to contact me. I can be reached by e-mail at Rep.Bies@legis.wisconsin.gov or by telephone, toll-free at 1-888-482-0001. You can also visit my website at http://www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/asm01/news/.