Wiggins: This Is about Humanity

By Barbara With

Posted March 8, 2013, on United in Defense of the Water*

Reprinted in part with permission.

MADISON, WIS. -- Yesterday [Thursday, March 7], the Wisconsin Assembly passed AB/SB1, the new mining bill. And because of SB2, which changes the way a law is enacted, there will be no more ten-day waiting period for the Secretary of State to publish it. As soon as it is signed, it will become law.

Citizens United in Defense of the Water at Mike Wiggins Jr. press conference on March 7, 2013, in the Wisconsin Capitol, Madison. (Photo © and courtesy Barbara With. Reprinted with permission.)

Throughout the debate yesterday, Republicans appeared to be representing the mining company. Their arguments were weak, and they repeated their misinformation and lies over and over. No matter how passionate, truthful, measured, or clear the Democrats were in their debate, the Republicans rejected the truth, refused to accept any amendments brought forward, and in the end, as we expected, passed the bill along party lines.

Meanwhile, at a press conference, Bad River Tribal Chairman Mike Wiggins Jr. and several members of the Tribal Nations came together to show solidarity with Bad River. ...
Click here to read the rest of this article and see a video excerpt from Mike Wiggins' press conference.
Click here to see a second video clip, "Solidarity Among the Tribes."

* Author Barbara With is a citizen journalist reporting on mining issues in Wisconsin. Click here to learn more about United in Defense of the Water, a coalition of citizens dedicated to the protection of Lake Superior and all the waters of Wisconsin.

From Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative: Ashland Listening Session sends strong message: "There Will Be No Mine"

By Barbara With and Rebecca Kemble

Posted Feb. 12, 2013, on Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative

Text reprinted in part with permission

A sign at the Feb. 9, 2013, Ashland Listening Session on SB1/AB1, the Wisconsin Republican mining bill. (Photo © and courtesy Rebecca Kemble. Reprinted with permission.)

ASHLAND, WIS. -- A microcosm of the global struggle for clean water and land played out in northern Wisconsin last weekend at a listening session held in Ashland concerning SB1/AB1, the new Republican-sponsored (Wisconsin) mining bill. Impassioned testimony on behalf of the water and Lake Superior was given for ten hours, with only five people speaking in favor of what could be the largest open pit mine in the world. (See this YouTube channel for video testimony of selected individuals, or IndianCountryTV.com YouTube channel for longer, more comprehensive coverage of the entire event.)

The testimony of nearly one hundred people revealed an overwhelming opposition to the bill, as well as a clear rejection of a proposed 21-mile long, 1,000 foot deep mountaintop removal iron ore mine in the headwaters of the Bad River watershed.

The listening session was opened by Idle No More drumming and dancing from members of the Bad River and Red Cliff bands of Lake Superior Chippewa. Esie Leoso Corbine, Edith Leoso and Denise McCutcheon-Cloud are seen dancing while band members drum. (Photo © and courtesy Rebecca Kemble. Reprinted with permission.)

Sponsored by Sen. Bob Jauch (D-Poplar) and Rep. Janet Bewley (D-Ashland), the session was also attended by Rep. John Lehman (D-Racine), Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee),
Rep. Stephen Smith (D-Shell Lake), Rep. Nick Milroy (D-Superior), Sen. Tim Cullen (D-Janesville), Sen. Dale Schultz (R-New Richmond), Sen. Mark Miller (D-Monona), Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton).

At the end of the Listening Session, Wisconsin legislators, from left -- Sen. Stephen Smith, Sen. Nick Milroy, Rep. Janet Bewley and Sen. Bob Jauch offer final comments. (Video clip by Rebecca Kemble. Republished with permission.) Click here for more videos of the Listening Session on YouTube.

Other than Schultz, Republican legislators boycotted the session, which many construed as a part of their continuing rejection of democratic process in favor of their corporate sponsors. Of the nearly $1 million in campaign donations to 20 Senate and Assembly mining committee members by interests backing mining deregulation, over $450,000 went to committee member Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) and $74,000 to committee chair Sen. Tom Tiffany (R-Hazelhurst).

Of the 265 people who registered at Saturday’s listening session, 240 were opposed to the bill, while only 25 registered in support, with 94 speaking against, and only five in favor. The pro-mining speakers spoke in favor of jobs, but when faced with the facts of the damage a mine would do, refused to acknowledge the scientific, historical and economic evidence that a mine will bring no benefit to anyone other than lawyers, the mining company and their cronies, and area medical facilities. ... Click here to read the rest of this article on the Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative Web site.

UPDATE: See also this article by Barbara With and Rebecca Kemble, posted Feb. 14, 2013: "Amidst Controversy, Superior Days Promotes Mining Legislation."

Northern Wisconsin legislators object to plans for only one hearing on Wis. Mining Bill -- in Madison

ASHLAND, WIS. -- Just two days after introducing a new mining bill and promising an open and transparent process, Wisconsin Republican leaders announced last Friday afternoon that the only public hearing on the legislation will be held in Madison on Wednesday, Jan. 23. This announcement came one day after Senator Bob Jauch (D-Poplar) and Representative Janet Bewley (D-Ashland) sent a letter to Mining Committee Chairs Senator Tom Tiffany (R-Hazelhurst) and Representative Mary Williams (R-Medford) requesting a hearing on the bill in Northern Wisconsin.

"During the press conference unveiling the new bill on Wednesday, every speaker went to great lengths to talk about how good this bill was for the citizens of Northern Wisconsin," said Bewley. "We are capable of deciding for ourselves what is good and what isn’t. My constituents deserve the opportunity to speak out, both for and against, this bill."

Senator Tiffany and Representative Williams will impose limits on all public testimony and on the number of questions members of the committee may ask. They plan on starting at 9 a.m. and will shut down at 9 p.m. regardless of how many people have not yet testified.

"This is just another arrogant show of disrespect to the citizens of Northern Wisconsin, who have had to fight to have their voices heard throughout this process, despite the fact that they would be the ones most affected by the proposed mine," said Jauch. "Not only will this hearing be next to impossible for most north woods citizens to attend, those who are able will have their testimony limited. The chairs clearly have their minds made up about the future of the bill, making this a cruel hoax, not a public hearing."

The northern lawmakers called on Tiffany and Williams to reconsider their decision and hold other hearings in other parts of the state. They also ask Tiffany and Williams to consider joining them for a public listening session in Ashland on Saturday, Feb. 9. Jauch and Bewley have reserved space for that day and are willing to host the event.

"Senator Tiffany and Representative Williams represent rural, northern Wisconsin districts," say Jauch and Bewley in a Jan. 21 press release. "They ought to understand that the people of northern Wisconsin feel ignored. Their decision to hold the only hearing on the bill in Madison is an insult to the people who will be most affected if it passes and an insult to our democratic principles. We call on them to reconsider and give the people of Northern Wisconsin the access they deserve."

Editor's Notes:
NEW UPDATE: See the Jan. 22, 2013, Daily Page article, "New Wisconsin iron mining bill will be devastating to the environment," by Al Gedicks and Dave Blouin.

Update: See this Jan. 21, 2013, Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative article by Barbara With and Rebecca Kemble: "Secret Mining Meeting in Hurley Draws Criticism."

See this Jan. 2, 2013, In These Times article, "Gold Diggers and Indians," on recent plans for sulfide mining in northern Wisconsin and opposition by Native Americans and other local residents.

See also this Feb. 21, 2012, letter to the editor from Wendy Thiede of Oma, Wis., "Updated: Letter: Scientists offer evidence of sulfides in Penokee mine site."