Political figures from both sides of the aisle are coming out against Gov. Jim Doyle's proposed global warming legislation.
Last week, Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said on a campaign stop that he thinks the Clean Energy Jobs Act needs revisions.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Neumann criticized the legislation in a statement for the role he said it would play in ""expanding government"" and raising taxes.
The legislation aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and shift Wisconsin's energy consumption to at least 25 percent renewable resources by 2025. The bill is based largely on recommendations from Doyle's task force on global warming.
A study released Thursday by the Center for Climate Strategies, a group devoted to assisting governments fight climate change, showed the bill could create over 16,000 jobs and increase the gross state product by $250 million by 2015.
The study, conducted by economists from Michigan State University and the University of Southern California, found the state could see an overall economic boost of $1.4 billion by 2025.
""This independent report clearly shows what we have been saying all along … The Clean Energy Jobs Act will create thousands of new jobs,"" Doyle said in a statement. ""This is not just an environmental issue; it's about creating jobs.""
Lawmakers and business leaders have criticized the bill, saying it will cost the state more jobs than it aims to create and placing the cost burden on taxpayers.
""At this time, Wisconsin has lost over 163,000 jobs, and this legislation is expected to cost the state another 43,000 jobs. This is not the answer to Wisconsin's job issue,"" state Rep. Phil Montgomery, R-Green Bay, said in an e-mail.
According to a statement from Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, a business lobbying group, over 3,000 business leaders in Wisconsin have signed a petition in opposition to the global warming bill.
""As energy prices go up, we lose manufacturing jobs that provide the highest wages and best benefits … The Legislature should scrap the bill and look for alternatives that do not increase energy prices or cause job loss,"" James Haney, WMC president, said.
Montgomery said the legislation is expected to cost nearly $20 billion.
