WMC Testifies in Support of Special Session Assembly Bill 1

MADISON – Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) testified on Thursday in support of Special Session Assembly Bill 1 at a public hearing of the Assembly Committee on Jobs and the Economy. The legislation is part of the reason Foxconn has decided to invest $10 billion in Wisconsin to build a manufacturing plant that will create 13,000 family-supporting jobs.

WMC’s General Counsel and Director of Environmental & Energy Policy Lucas Vebber called the Foxconn investment a “landmark moment” in his testimony. In addition to the incentive package included in the bill, Vebber credited Wisconsin’s pro-growth reforms as a big reason Foxconn even considered Wisconsin in the first place.

“The opportunity before our state is a validation of the pro-growth reforms that have been enacted in recent years. The improvements to Wisconsin’s business climate through tax, regulatory and litigation reforms over the past six years have literally changed the way the world looks at Wisconsin,” he said. “Whether it was Act 10, the Manufacturing and Agriculture Credit, or Right to Work, Wisconsin has shown that we are open for business and are here to compete and win against anywhere in the world.”

Vebber also made a point to correct a significant amount of misinformation about the regulatory aspects of the bill.

“Environmental activist groups have been misleading the public for the past several days about the extent of the permitting reforms in this legislation,” he added. “The reality is this legislation maintains our state’s strong environmental protections while providing a regulatory atmosphere necessary to draw this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to our state.”

To read the full testimony and for more information about the bill, please click the links below: