30 State Legislature Democrats From Wisconsin, Minnesota Oppose St. Croix River Crossing Project

Seven Wisconsin state legislators and 23 Minnesota state legislators—all Democrats—sent a letter to Congress on Wednesday stating their opposition to the St. Croix River Crossing project.

In the letter, the Democrats say that they oppose H.R. 850 because it costs too much. 

"As legislators on both sides of the St. Croix River we are united in our concerns that the current design of the bridge is far too expensive, particularly in light of much more cost-effective alternatives," a portion of the letter states. "In choosing the most expensive option, H.R. 850 further constrains our states’ already limited resources for critical bridge repairs and road safety projects."

In response to the letter, Wisconsin state Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (R-District 10) issued expressing her disappointment with the 30 Democrats.

"Now, with positive action being taken to move a new bridge forward in the U.S. Congress, a few legislators, one of whom has direct ties to the Sierra Club, are seeking to further stall or delay this vital project," Harsdorf said as part of her statement. "The Sierra Club is responsible for filing the lawsuits that have delayed the building of anew bridge and increased project costs."

The letter comes just one day before the issue is scheduled to go before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources. If the bill passes a committee vote on Thursday, it will go to a full vote in both the Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.

Additional materials

• The 30 Democrats' letter