Hi John,
We have massive news to celebrate! The State Senate just passed the PFAS bill, sending it to Gov. Evers’ desk for his signature.
This is an historic win for our health and our water. It wouldn’t have happened without years of sustained, relentless advocacy from impacted community members and conservation voters like you. This legislation unlocks $132 million in long-awaited relief, including $80 million for community water systems and $35 million specifically for private well owners.
How we won: A seven-year fight
This wasn’t just a policy win; it was a sustained effort that started seven years ago. From passing the first PFAS standards to our record-setting "Right to Know" campaign, your voices made the difference.
When funding was originally tied to "poison pill" provisions that would have protected polluters and weakened our protections against toxic spills, we didn't back down. We pressured the legislature to prioritize people over polluters. And they listened. The final bill passed with unanimous, 33-0 support in the Senate.
The power of our movement
This victory was built by thousands of intentional actions across Wisconsin. We won because:
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Impacted communities led the way. Our partners in communities like Marinette, Peshtigo, Campbell, and Stella have been front-and-center in this fight, driving the need for action and underscoring the importance of not letting PFAS polluters off the hook.
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Our action takers. You sent over 1,400 emails to the Capitol, made more than 2,000 phone calls, and showed up in force for Conservation Lobby Day.
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Our face-to-face interactions. Our organizers knocked on over 1,000 doors to talk with Wisconsinites about the importance of testing the drinking water in their private wells.
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Our storytellers. Impacted partners in places like Campbell and Stella who shared their personal struggles with contaminated water to make this crisis real for legislators. Our stories from private well owners generated over 15 million impressions.
- Our allies. On the 50th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act, we came out of the gate with a 30-plus stakeholder coalition calling for a $1 billion investment in our water infrastructure, a coalition that grew to 60-plus organizations.
The big picture
By staying loud and organized, we didn't just win this bill. This session, we secured a total of $894 million for Wisconsin’s water infrastructure. That is nearly 90 percent of what one Capitol insider called our "irresponsibly ambitious" $1 billion goal!
What’s next?
While there is so much more work to do to hold polluters accountable and pass the Water Pollution Notification Act, today we celebrate. This victory proves that when we build community power and demand a truly representative democracy, we win. Thank you for being the backbone of this movement.
Congrats, and let’s keep the momentum going.
