CNOW for Feb. 7, 2024

Today's conservation notices:

• Co-sponsor LRB 5764: Ensuring PFAS Groundwater Protections Move Forward

• Oppose SB 316 & AB 318: Poisoning Our Ponds

• Support SB 357: Native Plants for Pollinators

• Oppose SB 541: Selling Our Shoreline

• Oppose SJR 94: Prohibiting Ranked Choice Voting

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to co-sponsor LRB 5764, which is circulating for co-sponsorship.

We need to establish groundwater standards for PFAS, which are critical to protecting the approximately one-third of Wisconsinites who rely on private wells for their drinking water. In December, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) paused their work on this process due to the 2017 REINS Act, which requires the Legislature to authorize rulemaking efforts if new rules exceed $10 million in compliance costs to businesses, local governmental units, and individuals. LRB 5764 would exempt PFAS groundwater standards from the REINS Act, ensuring that the DNR can continue their work on establishing public health protections.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to oppose SB 316 and AB 318, which are before the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy, and the Assembly Committee on Environment on Thursday.

Wisconsinites should have a right to know and influence what chemicals are being added to our water. SB 316 and AB 318 would allow individuals to add certain chemicals to shared waters without DNR oversight and without the consent of impacted neighbors.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to support SB 357, which is before the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy on Thursday.

Native plants are known to provide the most benefit to pollinator habitats. SB 357 would require state agencies and other government entities to give preference to using native prairie and forage plants that benefit native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to oppose SB 541, which is before the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy on Thursday.

Under the Wisconsin Constitution, our waters belong to all of us. Public access to our shoreline is a right that must be protected into the future, for all people. SB 541 would violate our Public Trust Doctrine by permanently turning over our shoreline to private developers and allowing them to restrict access.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to oppose SJR 94, which is before the Senate Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection on Thursday.

To protect our health and the health of our planet, we must explore creative election reforms that support a broader and more productive exchange of ideas. SJR 94 works against this goal by proposing a constitutional amendment that would prohibit the use of ranked-choice voting.

Conservation Notices of the Week (CNOW) announces the pro-conservation positions on issues before the senate, assembly and/or governor in the week ahead to state legislators. Others wishing to follow activities in the state legislature also receive CNOW, including legislative staff, conservation voters, and media. All of these issues are tracked on the Vote Tracker. Issues in the CNOW may appear in the Conservation Scorecard.