By Sara Adams, 350 Madison
In November 2018, Wisconsinites will vote for a governor. This post is the fourteenth in a series on the environmental views of the candidates. This series is for information only. 350 Madison does not officially support any candidate.
Matt Flynn is a Navy veteran, attorney, and former Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.
What are the most important issues you would take on if you were elected governor?
Flynn said the environment is one of his top issues, and listed a series of environmental reforms including appointing scientists to the DNR, restoring climate change to the DNR website, addressing high-capacity wells, bringing back the Prove it First mining doctrine, halting Foxconn, and reinstating wetland protections.
Flynn said his second top priority is wages and jobs.
“The median wage, adjusted for inflation, is lower than it was ten years ago. I would repeal Right to Work, repeal Act 10, and raise the minimum wage.”
Flynn also wants to increase education funding.
“I’d restore funding to public education K-12 to historic levels, pre-Walker, and also restore the UW system funding to historic levels pre-Walker.”
Flynn said his other priority issue is healthcare reform.
“I’d open up BadgerCare to everybody,” he said. Flynn would also accept federal funding to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
Within the broad topic of the environment, what do you think are the most important issues?
“The overriding one, of course, is stopping Foxconn. They’re going to take seven million gallons a day out of Lake Michigan and put it back in polluted form,” he said.
Flynn also said creating an independent DNR, appointing more scientists to the DNR, restoring wetland protections, and ending frac sand mining are important environmental issues. He also wants local counties to be able to address CAFO [Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation] groundwater pollution.
“I would restore local control to counties to stop CAFOs, which are polluting our groundwater,” he said.
Where would you rate climate change on your priority list?
Flynn said he supports a statewide transition to renewable energy.
“I would have a goal of going to renewable energy in Wisconsin as quickly as possible. I think the science has shown that wind power alone, certainly wind power and solar, is sufficient to power our state.”
If you were elected governor, what practical steps would you take to address climate change?
“I would work on various tax credit incentives to accelerate the development of renewable energy.”
Do you know what Line 61 is?
Flynn was not familiar with the term “Line 61,” but said he recognized the pipeline when it was described as the Enbridge tar sands pipeline running from Superior to Delavan.
Is there anything else you want our members or voters to know about your campaign?
“I am going to stop Foxconn. I am the only candidate that’s made up a litigation plan to do it, and I plan to do it. It’s a $4.5 billion boondoggle to a Chinese company. We need that money for healthcare, education, and roads.”