Assembly Bill 1 would require state and local government "to try to purchase at least 20% of materials and supplies from Wisconsin vendors. The bill also requires that in each fiscal year, the percentage of the total amount spent on Wisconsin-based businesses may not be lower than in the past fiscal year."
Assembly Bill 2 would require almost all services purchased by the state to come from within the United States.
State Representative Bill Kramer issued the following statement to explain his votes against the two bills:
“This afternoon I voted against AB 1 and could not, in good conscience, vote for AB 2. While I support the idea of bolstering Wisconsin’s businesses, AB 1, unfortunately, does not immediately create a single job outside of government. It merely sets a goal that is already being met by local governments. It is fantasy that this bill does anything more than demagogue an issue while people are genuinely feeling the pain of the current recession.
Likewise, AB 2 is nothing more than an opportunity for Democrats who now control the State Assembly to grab headlines while providing no new opportunities to struggling families in Waukesha. It is both technically flawed and poorly targeted legislation.
It is my sincere hope that the next time Democrats make promises to the hard working people of Waukesha that they are more thoughtful and pragmatic about what legislation they propose so as to not sacrifice people’s livelihoods on the altar of political gamesmanship.”
