Strong opposition leads Senate to pull vote on handing municipal water services to corporate interests without citizen input. Union members, supporters send over 3,200 messages to legislators in opposition to AB 554.
Union members, environmentalists, municipal water and sewer operators, local cities and citizens from around the state raised their voices in opposition to AB 554, a bill paving the way for corporate interests to buy public water services without proper democratic process. Despite a strong push from Aqua America, a billion-dollar water conglomerate plagued with complaints of water mismanagement, Republicans were unable to reach consensus on the bill and pulled a planned vote on the legislation.
“Legislators should use what’s left of the legislative session to focus on creating good jobs and economic opportunities for Wisconsin, not on making it easier for out-of-state corporate interests to gobble up Wisconsin’s municipal water systems,” said Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO. “This appalling power grab by corporate interests was stopped by the voice of the people. Union members sent thousands of messages to lawmakers around the state to express dismay and disappointment with privatizing our water utilities without citizen say. Democracy worked as it should, the people spoke out and their representatives listened.”
“Water is a source of life, not profit,” said Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary-Treasurer of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO. “With the legislative session winding down, this bad bill should stay buried. Together, union members, environmentalists, municipal sewer and water operators and local cities we were able to sound the alarm, raise a red flag and protect Wisconsin’s water services as a public good and human right.”
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