start with saying the issue isn't the cap, the issue is that the environmental laws will
be changed for all companies within the zone, is that correct? New manufacturers within
the zone and then any company within the zone that has an issue related to the zone can
the legal process changes, is that correct? Senator, you're correct to the extent that
any new manufacturing facility in the EITM zone could potentially be eligible for those
environmental exemptions. So I don't want people to get confused. We are taking a foreign
company and we are giving them rights that Wisconsin companies don't have. We're allowing
them to be excluded from our environmental rules that Wisconsin companies and Wisconsinites
have to adhere to and we're allowing them to be excluded from our normal justice system
process. That's what we're doing. So let's, you know, call a spade a spade. This is and
has been reported as the largest deal of its kind ever done in America and that's because
I believe every other state has understood that the price that the Walker administration
has committed Wisconsinites to pay is simply too high. Let's go through this amendment.
So for clarity, we asked during the hearing in the Kenosha Racine start of an area whether
or not the zone could be the entire state and we were told several individuals stated,
well, I won't do that. So the amendment just for clarity says that the zone has to be with,
it can't be outside the state, but it is not say that it can't be the whole state, right?
That's correct. So they took the time to fix it, but not to say it could be the whole
state even though allegedly that wouldn't be done. Oh, that's, that alone is disturbing
because it can do exactly what Senator Urban Box stated where employers, mining companies
whomever else would get some of the benefits of not having to abide by environmental rules
and laws that Wisconsin companies and businesses have had to do. I mean, this, of course, is
corporate welfare in the most obscene use of the word. Governor Walker very candidly
has put in you all and put more stipulations on single mothers getting food share than
on a multi-billionaire foreigner foreign company to get access to the hard-earned money that
Wisconsin taxpayers have worked and contributed for us to have the kind of Wisconsin that we
need. It is disturbing that you've changed the environmental laws. You've changed the
access to due process for a foreigner and giving them more than what anybody else in the state has.
It is truly disturbing and we're struggling. You're struggling to figure out what to do for
transportation. You're struggling to figure out how to take care of the responsibilities that we
need and you've struggled and clearly have not made our education, our schools, all prioritized our
children and our students. You've put our children behind this foreign company and it is overwhelming
for me to see that you are doing this. Question for fiscal bureau, attempt to ensure, could you tell
me what signifies an attempt, how many attempts before it's considered failed? Because I know we
have how many attempts someone can do with probation and parole, for example, we're very clear
on what you need to do and what the consequences are. Is it clear what attempts are and how many?
I don't think there's anything specific about it other than the language that you're looking at here
that we deck would have to, as it stated, attempt to ensure that and they would have to
satisfy, seek to satisfy certain hiring goals, but there's nothing more specific in the language
than what is shown here. Governor Walker, thank you, Bob. Governor Walker's office said that the
deal will result into, you know, maybe even up to 20,000 jobs if you consider all of the indirect
supplier and businesses. Is there anything that provides access to contracting or
for Wisconsin businesses or any agreements that Wisconsin businesses will get an opportunity
or a percentage of Wisconsin businesses will be engaged in the building of the building,
the facility? Is there any, anything for Wisconsin businesses to supply material there to build
anything?
I don't think there's any requirement or any language that would try to encourage
the company to hire from a specific Wisconsin business. There is some about attempting to hire
Wisconsin residents for positions at the plant, but nothing about contracting with businesses.
So businesses are what we want to grow so that we can grow jobs we want Wisconsin businesses to be
able to have an opportunity. And so the fact that you
don't even encourage for Wisconsin businesses to be contracted with
is challenging and your goals for hiring and attempts on hiring are not even clear.
Can I ask on the issue of due process being stripped from Wisconsinites in particular? I mean,
it could be used even if somebody's property was being taken. Well, let me make sure that.
Could it be used in a condemnation or in a process to take a property from a person? Can this new
lack of due process? Can it exist? Can it happen in those cases?
To be Senator Taylor, with regard to the provisions regarding court review,
what the amendment would do is specify that when there's an order of a circuit court that
vacates and joins, reviews a decision that includes a condemner and concerns an electronic
information technology manufacturing zone, a party that is subject to an order, again,
an order vacating and joining a reviewing local decision, including a condemner and decision.
That party may immediately appeal as of right to the Supreme Court, meaning they're
allowed to skip the, broadly it's being allowed to skip the court of appeals.
The amendment would say the Supreme Court must take jurisdiction of an appeal
that's filed in that manner, and then it also specifies that that order of a circuit court
vacating and joining a reviewing that decision is automatically stayed upon filing of that appeal.
A party that to the proceeding may apply to the Supreme Court to request that the
state be modified and vacated. So that means that yes or no to the question?
Could you repeat your question? The question was whether or not in a taking of a property
in the zone, whether or not this means a person would not have the opportunity to appeal,
and they would have to go right to the Supreme Court.
So first off, the party, so if you're thinking about the procedural posture of what you're
describing, yes, the same one that when we were in the,
if you had a condemnation action that was in the zone and a circuit court vacated or
enjoined that action, the party that's subject to that order may immediately appeal as of right
to the Supreme Court. So that's a it's a permissive authority to appeal directly to the Supreme Court.
Which means that the appeal process will be gone.
The court, they have the ability to go to the Supreme Court, not the appeal court of appeals,
correct? Right, okay. Question for you. We're spending a huge amount of money on this
foreign and billionaire to allegedly create 13,000 jobs. Where is some of our largest
unemployment in the state?
Zip codes, areas. I don't have zip code information. I suspect that
certainly some is in some of our northern, most counties, and I would assume that certainly in
segments in Milwaukee County is fairly high on employment. I think the Racine, Kenosha area
over the last couple of years during a recession, it was, I think our
largest unemployment rate was there, but that certainly turned around in the last couple of
years, especially with Amazon and some other businesses that came into that area.
So is there any connection to those places with the highest unemployment,
those areas, workers getting in the front of the line, incentivizing
hiring from those areas?
There is some language in the bill. Again, this is for weed act to determine
that in the designation, they would look at areas of job retention, job creation, job training,
creating high paying jobs, and to the extent possible, weed act should give preference
to areas of the greatest economic need. There is nothing more specific than that.
And is there anything since we have learned that there, and we know that there's
transportation challenges throughout the state, is there anything to help for transportation
of those individuals to the zone facility?
I don't believe there's any provision in the bill that would address that issue.
How much state revenue is generated by Milwaukee County?
Just this is a rough approximation, but I would think somewhere in the area of 20%.
And is there another county that has a higher percentage?
I don't believe so.
And so would it be fair to say that Milwaukee County will be the bearer of a larger
percentage of the tax incentives or the payment of them, so to say,
than any other county for Foxconn, for the foreign company?
In other words, is your question, does Milwaukee contribute more tax dollars in terms of income
and sales tax dollars to the state than any other county? I think is that your question,
therefore, would they contribute the larger share of the $3 billion in
credits? Is that fair? Is that the question? I'm asking, is that a fair question?
I would think that Milwaukee County would contribute more than any other county with regard to
income and sales tax dollars. And so the unemployment rate of Milwaukee County compared to the state,
compared to the other areas, the contribution that we make, I think it's only fair that we
would get access to these alleged jobs. Is there anything in the amendment that my colleagues did
that addresses the horrific lack of diversity that was concerns about diversity and fairness
and equity in that way? Is there anything in their amendment that addresses
the lack of thought about diversity for contractors or for workers?
I don't think there's anything in the bill specifically that relates to a diversity requirement.
I would like to go ahead and add something else with that last category.
I hear a Dr refresh our audience.
This is Dr lower.
I probably won't know.
I am fine.
I think as anyone go ahead and say I did slash, thank you so much.
Thank you very much.
Good afternoon.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
We are having a goodched Wednesday.