Republican Sen. Chris Kapenga Comes Out Against Helping Kimberly Clark

Republican state Sen. Chris Kapenga says he won’t support a tax break bill to help keep Kimberly-Clark Corp. plants in Wisconsin open.

The announcement Wednesday shows how difficult it will be for Republicans to pass the bill required to keep at least two of the company’s plants open in northeast Wisconsin.

Republicans hold an 18-15 majority in the Senate. Without Kapenga, all remaining Republicans would have to vote for the bill unless a Democrat would flip.

Kimberly-Clark said earlier this year it would close two plants in Wisconsin and eliminate 610 jobs. The state Assembly passed a tax incentive bill designed to keep the company in the state, but the Senate never voted on it.

On Wednesday, Gov. Scott Walker called on the Senate to act an incentive package, saying Kimberly-Clark and union workers have worked to keep the plants in operation.

The Cold Springs location’s United Steelworkers union members made concessions that opened the company to using incentives.

“And I would expect, particularly when you had a strong union participation, that there’d be many Democrats in the state Senate that would join with Republicans in providing that package,” Walker said.

Kimberly-Clark said the newly approved union agreement coupled with the state incentives could keep the plants open.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, July 24, to include quotes from Walker.