FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For Further Information Contact:
State Representative Jesse Kremer
(R-Kewaskum) (608) 266-9175 July 13, 2017
EPA “No Growth” Zones Decimate Opportunity in Wisconsin
Madison, WI – Yesterday afternoon, Representative Jesse Kremer (R-Kewaskum) attended Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty’s (WILL) policy brief andvideo premier of “Wisconsin’s No Growth Zone – The Impact of the Clean Air Act on Sheboygan County.” The video was produced in conjunction with the Sheboygan Chamber of Commerce and Wisconsin Manufactures and Commerce (WMC). Thanks in-part to this research, a spotlight has illuminated the overbearing and reckless EPA air quality compliance policies that have a strangle hold on businesses and the lives of individuals alike. Rep. Kremer had the following comments following the release of the video:
“During the summer of 2016 I was first made aware of the potential downgrade by the EPA from non-attainment to a moderate non-attainment zone in Sheboygan County, a large portion of the manufacturing hub in the Midwest. Non-attainment regulations continue to haunt many counties in Southeastern Wisconsin along the Lake Michigan coast. Poorly placed monitors do not use science but rather a ‘perceived issue’ as justification for stiff bureaucratic policies and red tape – from reformulated fuels that directly affect constituents and convenience store owners to inequality when attempting to grow a business just over the county line. These failed federal regulations create a ripple effect and repercussions in their path. The federal government’s ‘No Growth’ zone in Sheboygan County, has left businesses stranded on an island of artificial marketplace regulation.”
The EPA and the federal government as a whole have been called on by state leaders and advocacy groups, including WILL, to step away and return much of the regulatory authority to the states. When governance is restored by state lawmakers via Federalism, overtly burdensome layers of government bureaucracy can be eliminated, and state and local governments who understand the needs of the regions that they represent can tailor policies that will benefit the lives of their constituents while promoting responsible, and continued, economic growth.
“I applaud the efforts of WILL, WMC, and the Sheboygan Chamber on calling for the federal government to provide new flexibilities, however, as state lawmakers, we have a responsibility to act as well” said Rep. Kremer. “Policies set into action by unelected bureaucrats at the EPA have had devastating outcomes. A number of these issues have been on my radar this legislative session, and will be addressed. I have teamed up with a few other concerned colleagues including Rep. Cody Horlacher and Rep. Terry Katsma in hopes that we can tackle the disparaging economic impact that the federal, and state government, have had on Wisconsin residents and businesses. These reckless policies contribute to a lack of economic growth and a reduction in job opportunities for hard-working lower and middle income families. Now is the time to liberate our ‘No Growth’ zones.”
Rep. Kremer represents the 59th Assembly District which includes Southern Calumet, Western Sheboygan, Northern Washington and Eastern Fond du Lac Counties. Rep. Kremer’s office will continue to be located at 17 West in the Wisconsin State Capitol, and he can be reached at (608) 266-9175 or by e-mail at[email protected]. His legislative website can be found at www.RepKremer.com.
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