MILWAUKEE -- The $10 billion Foxconn deal is inching closer to a critical vote and Republican lawmakers say they narrowed down final amendments including environmental impacts.
The bill already makes clear that for every acre the new Foxconn construction may disturb, the company would have to create two new acres of wetland. Republican Rep. Adam Neylon of Pewaukee told TODAY'S TMJ4 a new amendment will ensure Foxconn would be required to create those new wetlands near the plant location and not in another part of Wisconsin.
Other criticisms of this bill raised by Democrats may remain the same, including that Foxconn would not have to complete an environmental impact statement.
"What we are doing is exempting them from the environmental impact statement which is something at the beginning of the process where they have to apply for different licenses so were exempting them streamlining the process that they're actually applying to the process but they'll still be subject to all the environmental rules and regulation," Neylon said.
Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca feels they have little time to review the changes with a vote scheduled for Monday afternoon. He wrote a statement that read in part, "It's clear that Republicans are trying to rush through the process to avoid as much scrutiny as possible."
The bill is expected to be voted on by the Committee on Jobs and the Economy at 3 p.m.
