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Checked against the record · Wisconsin Governor 2026

Did Tom Tiffany's mining law give local communities control?

Record does not bear out the claim. The 2017 law he led ended a sulfide-mining limit and local-party rights in permit hearings. It adds local posting of plans; notice to local governments was already law.

Tom Tiffany

Wisconsin's 2017 mining law

Record does not bear out the claim

What they say

Running for governor, he said he helped write the state's last mining law, and that it gave local communities control.

“We also provided for local control”

What the record shows ·

In 2017 he was lead author of Senate Bill 395, which ended the state's “prove it first” limit on sulfide mining. It passed as the Assembly's copy, which he cosponsored and voted for, and became 2017 Wisconsin Act 134. The Act has the state post mine plans locally and notify local clerks and libraries, but notice to local governments was already law. It also repealed the section that let local governments take part as a party in the permit hearing.

Limit: He didn't name the bill; we read it as the 2017 law, the last one he led. Mines must still meet local zoning, but that rule is older than the Act, and local governments can still ask for a hearing after the state decides.

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Sources8 source records

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  1. What Wisconsin's 2026 governor candidates say about mininghttps://pbswisconsin.org/news-item/what-wisconsins-2026-governor-candidates-say-about-mining/

    PBS Wisconsin · Published Mar 11, 2026 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Here & Now asked the candidates for governor about mining. Tiffany's answer is quoted in his own words. He does not name the bill; the report is about the 2017 repeal it says he led.

    original reporting

    For: Did Tom Tiffany's mining law give local communities control?

  2. 2017 Senate Bill 395, nonferrous metallic mininghttps://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/proposals/sb395

    Wisconsin State Legislature · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Introduced 2017-08-29 by Senators Tiffany, Fitzgerald and others. Repeals s. 293.50, the sulfide mining moratorium. Failed to pass 2018-03-28 without a Senate floor vote. Same relating clause and repeal list as AB 499 as introduced.

    official legislative record

    For: Did Tom Tiffany's mining law give local communities control?

  3. 2017 Assembly Bill 499, nonferrous metallic mininghttps://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/proposals/ab499

    Wisconsin State Legislature · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The Assembly copy of SB 395. Introduced by Rep. Hutton and others, cosponsored by Senators Tiffany, Fitzgerald and others. Passed the Assembly 53-38 on 2017-11-02; the Senate concurred 19-14 on 2017-11-07. Approved by the Governor 2017-12-11 as 2017 Wisconsin Act 134.

    official legislative record

    For: Did Tom Tiffany's mining law give local communities control?

  4. 2017 Senate vote 158, AB 499 concurrencehttps://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/related/votes/senate/sv0158

    Wisconsin State Legislature · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    2017-11-07. Concurred 19-14. Tiffany: Aye.

    official legislative record

    For: Did Tom Tiffany's mining law give local communities control?

  5. Act memo: 2017 Wisconsin Act 134 (document)

    Wisconsin Legislative Council · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Says the Act repeals the rule that a sulfide mine applicant show a mine that ran, and one that closed, for 10 years without polluting water. It replaces the old permit hearing with an informational hearing; anyone aggrieved can ask for a contested hearing within 30 days after the state decides. Lists no change to local zoning or local agreements.

    official legislative record

    For: Did Tom Tiffany's mining law give local communities control?

  6. 2017 Wisconsin Act 134 (document)

    Wisconsin State Legislature · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The enacted text. Requires the state to make mine applications available in the city, village or town where the mine would be, and to send notice to local clerks and libraries. SECTION 32 repeals s. 293.43 (4), which let local governments take part as a party in the permit hearing; SECTION 34 repeals the hearing rules in s. 293.43 (5). sha256 12adb9fb.

    official legislative record

    For: Did Tom Tiffany's mining law give local communities control?

  7. Wis. Stat. ch. 293, 2015-16 (document)

    Wisconsin State Legislature · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The mining law before Act 134. It already required mailed notice of a permit hearing to the local towns, villages, cities and counties (s. 293.43 (3)), let those governments take part as a party in the hearing (s. 293.43 (4)) and paused the hearing until the mine showed it met local zoning (s. 293.43 (5) (e)). The zoning rule is s. 293.49 (1) (a) 6.; local agreements are s. 293.41; s. 293.50 was the moratorium. sha256 ae3846b5.

    official legislative record

    For: Did Tom Tiffany's mining law give local communities control?

  8. Wis. Stat. ch. 293, current (document)

    Wisconsin State Legislature · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The mining law today. The zoning rule in s. 293.49 (1) (a) 6. and local agreements in s. 293.41 are still there. The local-government participation section, s. 293.43 (4), is gone.

    official legislative record

    For: Did Tom Tiffany's mining law give local communities control?