WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A bill calling for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to fund a $50 million loan to help a timber co-op purchase and restart the idled Verso mill in Wisconsin Rapids has passed an Assembly committee and is now headed to the full chamber.
But the Wisconsin Rapids facility isn’t the only one that would stand to benefit from it. Representative Scott Krug of Nekoosa says the bill has been sweetened to include $15 million for the mill in Park Falls. Krug says that came from the Governor’s list of economic development projects which put the Park Falls mill above the Verso proposal.
“There became a lot of pressure for us to adapt our bill to make sure we added in Park Falls to generate some bipartisan support,” said Krug. “It’s the same situation, the same type of loan, and the same private equity needed before a loan could happen. [Basically] modeled the Park Falls language similar to the Wisconsin Rapids language.”
He adds that with ARA funding and an anticipated $4.4 billion in tax revenue coming the state’s way in the next two years the time is right to act. “The money’s here. We have buyers ready to act and a workforce that’s clamoring to get back to work. There’s no reason at all that both of these mills shouldn’t be operating. If it takes a little state help to do it we can do it right now.”
The bill passed the Assembly’s State Affairs committee on an 8-4 party-line vote Tuesday. Krug wasn’t in Madison for the vote but he said it seemed Democrat opposition wasn’t what you would call “loud.”
“Christine Sinicki from Milwaukee led the charge for the Democrats in Committee today from what I’m told. But [it seems] they just wanted to put this off a little bit longer until they did some research on it.
“Wasn’t very loud, but still some opposition,” he added.
Krug is hopeful that with some more education and support from Governor Tony Evers the opposition will calm. Evers has signaled support for the proposal but has not yet to say he will sign it.
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“I give the Governor credit because we’ve talked a lot over the last year about the situation. He’s told us, point blank, whatever you guys come up with we will do. Well, this is what we came up with and now it’s time to do it,” said Krug.
With Republicans in control of both the Senate and Assembly, the bill doesn’t necessarily need Democratic support to land on Tony Evers’ desk. That’s why Krug is now focused on making sure he understands the importance of the measure and how it could bring an end to a year-long discussion of how to get the mill back up and running.
Krug and others at the local, state, and federal level were part of the “Rapids Together Task Force” assembled after Verso announced they would idle the facility and another in Duluth, Minnesota at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bipartisan group had one goal in mind- getting people back on their feet by restarting the mill.
“We all came out of our silos and said: ‘hey let’s get one thing done- find something refreshing for people that we can all agree needs to be done.” I think we are finally on the precipice of trying to break through this roadblock we have because the two parties can’t agree on anything.
“It’s beyond a pet project- this is about cracking through the ice that has built up between the two parties and getting something done,” he added.
Krug expects a full Assembly hearing and vote on the bill by the end of June.
