State Budget Provision Would Limit Local Governments’ Ability To Regulate Businesses

Local governments would have less of a say in how they regulate businesses under a provision added to the state budget.

Conditional-use permits dictate specific regulations for businesses within a town or county. For example, in Trempealeau County, frac sand companies must meet a number of requirements related to noise and hours of operation before they can mine.

But, Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee inserted budget language prohibiting towns and counties from imposing requirements preempted by federal or state law.

It’s unclear what that means, but Democratic state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout said she knows what the goal is.

“We know the intent and the intent is to take away local control in the writing of the local conditional-use permits,” she said.

The actual statutory language of how the budget motion would limit local conditional-use permits still has to be written.