Kedzie stands firm on natural resources, building consensus
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The protection of the natural area around his home near LaGrange is what got Neal Kedzie started in politics and those areas still serve as a important touchstone in his life.
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State Senator Neal Kedzie is the chair of the Senate's natural resources committee and as such will be able to influence a bill concerning a northern Wisconsin mining operation.
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State senator Neal Kedzie, center rear, asks questions of a witness before the Senate's natural resources committee that Kedzie chairs.
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State senator Neal Kedzie, center rear, asks questions of a witness before the Senate's natural resources committee that Kedzie chairs.
LA GRANGE TOWNSHIP — Nobody knows for sure if the Legislature would have passed an iron mining bill if Neal Kedzie's committee hadn't been dissolved.
For more than a decade, Kedzie, R-Elkhorn, was the "go to guy" when bipartisan agreement was necessary to deal with a controversial environmental issue.
That came to a halt Feb. 15 when Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, in effect, fired Kedzie, whom he had appointed to chair the Senate Select Committee on Mining Jobs.
Although the committee had not issued a final report or proposed a mining bill, committee talking points indicated bipartisan support for environmental safeguards and remedial payments by the mine. That, apparently, led Fitzgerald to disband the committee and discard its work.
Kedzie was out as a leader on the mining issue. Without his leadership, no mining bill passed and the mine withdrew its interest in Wisconsin.
Kedzie, never one to publicly criticize his party or its leaders, accepted the demotion without comment.
Members of his committee and others, all Democrats, jumped to Kedzie's defense.
"It's the closest thing I've seen in Wisconsin government to the infamous Saturday Night Massacre when Richard Nixon had to fire the attorney general and his assistant before he could find someone to get rid of the Watergate special prosecutor," said Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, a member of the select committee.
The mine would have been in Jauch's district.
"Neal did not deserve to be treated like that," Jauch said. "I think we could have come up with a bill that would have allowed mining, created jobs and protected the environment, but we'll never know, now, because Scott Fitzgerald wouldn't allow it."
Sen. Tim Cullen, D-Janesville, echoed Jauch's concerns.
"Sen. Kedzie has a long and earned reputation as a serious lawmaker who works to find a consensus on difficult issues," Cullen said. "He has a proven record of success, but he was prevented by his own party from delivering a bill that would create mining jobs and provide adequate environmental safeguards."
Kedzie said dissolving the committee was an attempt to speed the legislation along.
"The decision to dissolve the special mining committee was made to reflect the position of the majority of members in the Senate Republican caucus who wished to change course and advance the Assembly legislation, with revisions, in a more expedient manner," Kedzie said.
"As time was growing short, we needed to move forward and work through a new process."
'Listening to all sides'
Before Kedzie became a leading Wisconsin legislator on natural resource issues, he had a deep respect for the land, deep enough to get him off the sidelines and into the field.
"We had a situation in which our town board was concerned about a contractor who sprayed 2,4-D along town highway ditches," Kedzie said.
Town residents complained that the herbicide was killing their yard plantings.
"At a contentious meeting in the home of a town resident, I was asked why I wasn't joining in during the heated discussion," Kedzie said. "I replied that I was listening to all sides and trying to understand the best approach to deal with the situation."
Kedzie wasn't yet a politician, but he was able to work with the town board to bring about a solution.
"I guess that struck a chord because I was asked to run for the town board," he said.
Kedzie won a seat on the town board and in 1996 was elected to the Assembly.
In 2003, he moved to the Senate, where he has served as either the chairman or the ranking Republican on the Senate committee overseeing environmental and natural resources issues. He is the future chairman of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
The common thread through his political rise is his respect for natural resources and his ability to listen to all sides while developing solutions.
Outdoor issues
Kedzie grew up near Franklin.
"It was all farms, then, and a very rural area," he said. "As a family, we did a lot of hunting, fishing and camping throughout the country. Two-thirds of our camping trips were in northern Wisconsin."
Kedzie grew up playing in what was then referred to as a swamp on his friend's farm. They floated a raft, collected butterflies and spent the summers exploring.
"That's where my appreciation for wetlands comes from," Kedzie said.
After graduating from Oak Creek High School, Kedzie enrolled at UW-Whitewater.
"I fell in love with the Whitewater and Kettle Moraine areas," he said. "There were hiking and camping opportunities right out the back door."
Kedzie stayed in Walworth County and is entering his 39th year as a resident of La Grange Township.
Before he joined the Legislature, Kedzie worked in facilities and land management for the Girl Scouts of America.
"In that role, I work on a lot of outdoor issues," he said. "It was not a big change from my job and town board issues to concentrate on natural resources and the environment once I got to the Legislature."
Consensus builder
Kedzie was urged to run for the Assembly by Rep. Steve Nass after Rep. Chuck Coleman announced he would not seek re-election.
"After my first term in the Assembly, I was asked what committee I would like to serve on as a chairman," Kedzie said. "I asked for economic development, small business or tourism. I did not offer up environment or natural resources."
While standing in a used car lot looking for a vehicle, Kedzie received a call from then Speaker Scott Jensen who asked him to chair the Assembly Environment Committee.
"I was reluctant because that committee handled a lot of hot-button issues, and they generate so much controversy," Kedzie said. "Speaker Jensen told me that was exactly why he wanted me to chair the committee. It was the best move that ever happened to me in the Legislature."
It took a little longer to earn his reputation in the Legislature as someone who could reach across the political aisle to get results.
"The first big issue was isolated wetlands," he said. "The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government would not regulate them."
The ruling meant there was no regulation, and it was up to Kedzie to work with environmentalists, developers, Realtors and others to come up with a plan to regulate wetlands not connected to streams or other bodies of water. He did, and his reputation as a "big tent" person began.
"It took a long time, but we worked with all stakeholders until we had a consensus."
Kedzie won't accept the title, but he is credited with single-handedly saving the Great Lakes Compact. All Great Lakes states and two Canadian provinces were required to agree on the compact.
One Wisconsin Assembly representative threatened to hold up the agreement over water diversion to a community in his district.
"In the end, we gave assurances that we would rely on science and give all interested parties an opportunity to weigh in," Kedzie said. "The agreement was finally reached when we all agreed that you had to replace what you took, and you had to replace it in the same or better condition."
Despite the circumstances surrounding the mining bill, Kedzie said he continues to look for solutions to environmental issues.
The same dedication that led him to protect La Grange Township rural property from herbicides continues to drive him to seek solutions statewide.
"I'll continue to look for solutions," he said. "I'm confident I can continue to find a way."
Mar 25, 2012 at 4:04 a.m.
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LOL a scientist doesn't care what a sierra club report with information from wikipedia included at all; did you even read the sources for you link. If you really think iron mines are a bad idea I wonder if you have taken the necessary step to ensure these core materials are no longer included in any product you use or purchase.
Reality EVERY product you purchase can be claimed by some person or committee to contain, create, or will add to some type of environmental issue. The mine is nothing more than a large gravel pit with magnets not a disaster in the making.
Mar 25, 2012 at 1:09 a.m.
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Rick & RetAF -- so the science doesn't count if you don't approve the message? Are either one of you a trained scientist?
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Leave it to the liberals to actually consider factual data versus emotional responses. . . .
Mar 24, 2012 at 1:53 a.m.
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Links to the sierra club...chuckles.
Mar 23, 2012 at 8:08 p.m.
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"Are you so smug that you don't want the good people in that part of Wisconsin to have a good life with a good job?"
Are you so uncaring that the "good life" you are talking about means cancer and other diseases as well as physical deformities for generations, These kinds of mines cause elevated levels of selenium, sulfate, manganese and asbestos. "Air emissions from taconite plants are the largest source of mercury in the Lake Superior basin. "http://www.wisconsin.sierraclub.org/documents/GLIFWC_TaconiteReport_2011.pdf
The link to this document has been posted many times by various people and yet there are those who don't seem to be able to grasp the detrimental long term and permanent damage that will result for all living creatures in the area as well as the landscape.
Mar 23, 2012 at 3:43 p.m.
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I have been active in the environmental field and state legislation since the late 1960's.
I have testified before both the Assembly and the Senate and have found Mr. Kedzie to be both anti-environment and anti-science and not willing to listen to the issues.
I distinctly remember, for example, when the issue came up about banning the sale and use of lead weights for balancing wheels on vehicles (because so many fall off the wheels and pollute the soil and water) -- an issue supported by both the wheel weight manufacturers and EPA.
A scientific study was presented on the fall-off rate of these weights, yet Mr. Kedzie refused to believe the results, saying that he never saw any on the road in front of his house. He rejected data from all over the country where people had done controlled studies based on his anecdotal information although he had not been looking for these objects. Mr. Kedzie was unwilling to listen to anything that disagreed with his point of view.
He also said at the same hearing that the experience of Europe was irrelevant -- he didn't care what Europe was doing or knew. This is why Europe is way ahead of us in so many environmental fields and is selling us the technology -- people like Mr. Kedzie have narrow viewpoints and unwilling to pay attention.
According to the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters, since the 2001-02 session, Mr. Kedzie has received environmental voting scores of 50%, 11%, 44%, 69% and 42% for the last five sessions.
Mr. Kedzie is not a person who has shown that he cares about the environment.
Mar 23, 2012 at 7:49 a.m.
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Why do democrats despise jobs so much? Are you worried that people will get off the government dole? Are you so smug that you don't want the good people in that part of Wisconsin to have a good life with a good job? Or, that they can only have the jobs that you say they can have?
Mar 23, 2012 at 7:07 a.m.
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Rickraff...you are a sorry piece of work! Hope you feel all smug and comfy with yourself after making all those snide remarks.
Mar 22, 2012 at 10:35 p.m.
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Rick did you read either of the articles I posted for you? I look forward to something more meaningful.
Mar 22, 2012 at 10:04 p.m.
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Rick, Fedup, et. al. -- check out this report regarding an attempt to mine the same area back in 2006: http://www.northwoodswild.org/component/...
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Rick, I have attended both public and private schools. I graduated in 5th place in a class of 356. Finished a four year degree program in three years with honors. Finished my graduate program at a major state university with a 3.93 out of 4 average. None of this is really relevant, except that hurling insults at me Is not a reflection of my credentials.
Mar 22, 2012 at 9:33 p.m.
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Rick -- I checked your link. Thanks. lHere is one for you: http://www.wisconsin.sierraclub.org/docu...
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As I understand the proposed mine would be 4 miles long. Let's say that it is 1/2 mile wide --- however, I understand that for safety reasons trucks removing ore must have gradual inclines (as you can see from photos on the link provided). 1/2 X 4 miles would be the equivalent of 1280 acres. Lake Wazee was 150. Another problem was the threat of sulfuric acid into headwaters -- leakage would come from rock & soils removed in order to reach the ore. This would have to be piled for years, as the mining excavated the ore thy desire. Disruptions of the minerals makesmthem vulnerable to Leaching by simple rain.
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I know how to read, research, and thoughtfully consider, not only the content but also the source. Please speak to me with respect and keep your facts coming. I enjoyed learning about the lake.
Mar 22, 2012 at 8:24 p.m.
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Rick -- I know nothing about your religious beliefs. However, I must have touched a raw place. That was not my intention. The comment about the Rapture was in reference to the demand for jobs now -- don't worry about long term consequences. If the world is about to end then environmental damage doesn't matter.
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by the way, Rick where is the lake you posted about -- what is it called? Send me real facts so that I can learn more. I have been known to reassess my opinions when given more real information to consider.
Mar 22, 2012 at 3:20 p.m.
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Rick_Raff
What happened in your life that has caused you to be so bitter - so unforgiving - so one sided - so unwilling to work to improvement - so willing to spew hate and bitterness.
How can you have such hate and contempt - i'm just wonderin how sad your life must be if you base such pleasure in being so negative. I'm guessing you will blame this on politics - but that is way too easy. Your bitterness falls far away from simple Dem vs. Rep lines.
Stop spewing such hate - use this board to make creative comments for change. Or are you so negative in everything you do that a positive reponse isn't possible.... just wonderin
Mar 22, 2012 at 2:34 p.m.
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pat - 88% recycled
http://www.recycle-steel.org/
Mar 22, 2012 at 11:57 a.m.
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Kedzie should think hard about his party allegience. His life work is quickly being deconstructed by Fitzwalker. It's time that we all stand up for legislators like Kedzie that can fight fot what is right instead of regurgitating the party mantra.
Mar 22, 2012 at 11:28 a.m.
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cnw1313-mining can be done in Wisconsin. Gogebic didn't like our existing regulations, and tried to get the state to change the rules for them...the company can still mine here if they follow the rules, just like every other mine in the state. it sounds like they were hoping to take advantage of the Walker Administration legislation tactics...
btw-how much iron is already out there sitting unused that could be re-purposed or recycled?
Mar 22, 2012 at 10:50 a.m.
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Scott Fitzgerald is a tool of the capitalists!
Mar 22, 2012 at 9:55 a.m.
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To all of you anti mining people on here. Stop driving. You're using something made from steel, which in case you don't know, is made from iron ore. But then, how would you get your little angels to soccer practice or dance class. How would you get to work? Even that bicycle you want everyone to ride, is made from steel. Stop using electricity. It comes from coal, which is also dug from the ground in a process called "MINING". But then how would you post all of your ignorant comments without it. How would you charge your cell phone, light your home, watch t.v., etc???? I guess you'd all be screwed.
Mar 22, 2012 at 8:53 a.m.
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kedzie really worked hard to get that bill through...so why would I believe him when he says he's for protecting natural resources? that bill died for a reason...
Mar 22, 2012 at 8:31 a.m.
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This article failed to point out Sen Kedzie voted YES for the final mining bill. So, the environmentalist Kedzie voted yes, and yet, Sen Cullen voted NO, lockstep with the democrat caucus against the mining bill and jobs.
Exactly, well said. I hope all you remember this. If Cullen and Jauch agreed with Kedzie, then why did they vote for the bill like he did.
Mar 22, 2012 at 8:28 a.m.
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Rick_Raff, Mar 21, 2012 at 6:45 p.m.
I couldn't agree more, well put.
^^^^
x2
Mar 22, 2012 at 6:02 a.m.
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Blind to the party is not the way those elected to office should be
They need to sound off so the rest of us know right where they stand
If they are worth their salt they will be voted back in
other wise out the door they go
Mar 22, 2012 at 5:46 a.m.
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This article failed to point out Sen Kedzie voted YES for the final mining bill. So, the environmentalist Kedzie voted yes, and yet, Sen Cullen voted NO, lockstep with the democrat caucus against the mining bill and jobs.
Mar 21, 2012 at 11:50 p.m.
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Rick_Raff, Mar 21, 2012 at 6:45 p.m.
I couldn't agree more, well put.
Mar 21, 2012 at 9:36 p.m.
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Geez, Rick_Raff, you seriously should consider some anger management counseling. Your last couple rants were so vitriolic that most people wouldn't be able to recall a thing you said, only the way you said it.
kidsfirst, I appreciated your comments.
Mar 21, 2012 at 9:18 p.m.
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Rick, so you apparently know more than the scientists who shared their findings with the Joint Finance Committee? I just know what I have seen, what I have experienced. Many an area has been ruined in our southern states by mining. I would be interested in reading the facts that support your position. I am always open to data and facts. Just be careful who and what you trust.
Is the Rapture coming soon?
Mar 21, 2012 at 9:06 p.m.
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Wow! Rick_Raff, don't let your hatred and uncompromising, negative attitude cause you to have a stroke. Get a grip on yourself. The world does not revolve around your viewpoint. Why don’t you give your twin, Feduptaxpayer, a call? Maybe he can calm you down.
Mar 21, 2012 at 8:23 p.m.
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thanks, BB
Mar 21, 2012 at 8:16 p.m.
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@kidsfirst: Thank you for sharing that excellent post. If more people, from both sides of the aisle, could work together like Mr. Kedzie, this country would be a much better place.
Mar 21, 2012 at 6:54 p.m.
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Rick -- short term gains with long term costs and damage are not good for the future. If you plan on the Rapture happening before our wetlands and ground water are irreparably damaged, then the loss of immediate job creation doesn't matter anyway.
Mar 21, 2012 at 6:49 p.m.
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So pleased to know more about Sen. Kedzie. He has built a positive reputation as a consesus builder.
Mar 21, 2012 at 5:38 p.m.
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Sounds like a job killer that needs to be recalled.
(/sarcasm)
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