New recall aimed at lawmakers who voted against mining bill

MADISON (AP) -- Conservatives have launched recall efforts against two state senators who opposed a bill that would have helped a Florida company open a huge iron mine in northwestern Wisconsin.

The bill would have streamlined Wisconsin's mine permitting process to help Gogebic Taconite open an iron mine just south of Lake Superior. Republicans touted the bill as their signature job-creation legislation this past session.

But Sen. Bob Jauch, a Poplar Democrat, and Sen. Dale Schultz, a Richland Center Republican, opposed the bill and the measure ultimately died in the Senate this month.

Shirl LaBarre of Hayward filed papers with state election officials on Monday authorizing her to start collecting recall signatures against Jauch. Dan Curran of Dodgeville, filed papers authorizing him to start a committee to explore recalling Schultz.

State Democratic Party spokesman Graeme Zielinski says recalls are the will of the people, and that in the recall races, Republicans represent big corporate money. "We are going to be outspent maybe 12 to one," Zielinski said.

Walker says he thinks most people in the state are sick of recalls, no matter who they're against. "Most people have a distaste for year-round elections and the millions of dollars that's going to be spent on TV and the millions of dollars it's going to cost taxpayers in the state. Once this is all said and done, whether they're Democrats or Republicans, will have much of an appetite for future recalls," Walker said.

The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board is set to certify the recall against Governor Walker at its March 30th meeting, which would make the primary on May 8th, and the general election on June 5th.