Budget Bill Listening Sessions: Will the Clean Energy Proposals Survive? Your Legislator is the Key!

Budget Bill Listening Sessions: Will the Clean Energy Proposals Survive? Your Legislator is the Key!

by | Mar 22, 2021 | Action Alert, Legislative Watchlist, Policy

RENEW Wisconsin supports the 28 clean energy provisions that Governor Evers included in his proposed 2021-23 Budget Bill. Among them are recommendations to expand Focus on Energy, invest in the clean energy workforce, and advance Wisconsin’s electric vehicle infrastructure.

The Budget Bill is now in the hands of the state legislature, and the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) has announced four listening sessions, three in-person and one virtual, to learn about your Budget priorities.

The JFC public hearings all begin at 10:00 a.m. and will be held at these locations:

  • Friday, April 9, 2021, UW-Whitewater, Whitewater, WI
  • Wednesday, April 21, 2021, The Hodag Dome, Rhinelander, WI
  • Thursday, April 22, 2021, UW-Stout, Menomonie, WI
  • Wednesday, April 28, 2021, Virtual

Due to the expected crowd size, speakers (virtual and in-person) will be given just two minutes to speak. If you would like to submit more in-depth comments, the committee has created a web portal for citizens to provide input. The JFC has also developed a dedicated email address for comments: budget.comments@legis.wisconsin.gov.

While the JFC process is important, it does have its limitations. The most effective thing you can do to support the clean energy Budget proposals is to speak directly with your state legislators, especially if they are a member of the Joint Finance Committee or in the Senate or Assembly legislative leadership. You can contact them one-on-one or see if they are holding in-district or virtual listening sessions for their constituents. To find the contact information for your legislators, you can use the digital Legislative District Map.

Every legislator has a vote and can influence what is included in the final Budget package. Make your legislators understand that clean energy issues are a priority for you!

If you have any questions or find out that your legislators are especially supportive or opposed to the clean energy proposals, please tell Jim Boullion, RENEW Wisconsin’s Director of Government Affairs, jim@renewwisconsin.org.

Governor Evers Budget Bill Moves Wisconsin Closer to 100% Clean Energy

Governor Evers Budget Bill Moves Wisconsin Closer to 100% Clean Energy

by | Feb 24, 2021 | Legislative Watchlist, Policy, Renewables

On Tuesday, February 16th Governor Tony Evers presented his 2021-23 Budget Bill proposal, SB 111.  Among the 1,848 pages of the $91 billion budget RENEW Wisconsin has identified 28 proposals that are directly related to clean energy and energy efficiency. A short summary of the individual issues can be downloaded HERE.

The bill now goes to the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) for review. The JFC will hold a series of public hearings, likely in April, to gather public comments and then will spend the next several months amending the bill.  Once the bill passes out of Joint Finance, it goes to both houses of the legislature for final review and potential amendment there.  The Session Calendar indicates that the legislature plans to finish the budget and adjourn for the summer by June 30th.

RENEW Wisconsin will be closely monitoring the progress of the bill and working to pass as many of the Governor’s clean energy and efficiency proposals as possible.  If you would like to talk to your legislators about any of these provisions, or if you have ideas that you think the State should adopt into the Budget Bill, you can click here for a directory to find contact info for your state representative.

If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact Jim Boullion, RENEW Wisconsin’s Director of Government Affairs at jim@renewwisconsin.org.