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SW: →Koch Industries, Scott Walker, and the state's power plants: add link, tweak ref
In Feb. 2011, Wisconsin Gov. [[Scott Walker]] introduced a governor’s budget repair bill that would deny collective-bargaining rights to public-sector workers, and included language that would allow for the selling off of state-owned power plants, as well as allow officials appointed by the governor to make sweeping cuts in health coverage for low-income families without having to go through the normal legislative process.<ref name=pk>[http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/25/opinion/25krugman.html "Shock Doctrine, U.S.A."] NY Times, Feb. 24, 2011.</ref>
Among those supporting the bill were [[Americans for Prosperity]], with state records showing that [[Koch Industries]], whose energy and consumer products conglomerate is based in Wichita, Kansas, was one of the biggest contributors to the election campaign of Walker. Koch owns a coal company subsidiary with facilities throughout Wisconsin, including in Green Bay, Manitowoc, Ashland and Sheboygan.<ref>Eric Lipton, [http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/us/22koch.html "Billionaire Brothers’ Money Plays Role in Wisconsin Dispute"] NY , ''New York Times'', Feb. February 21, 2011.</ref> This subidiary is known as [[C. Reiss Coal Company]]. <ref> [Koch Industries, Inc., "Wisconsin Facts", http://www.kochind.com/factssheets/WisconsinFacts.aspx], Koch Industries website, accessed August 2011.</ref>
The bill included a Governor's request for sole power to sell off Wisconsin state owned power plants: “the department may sell any state-owned heating, cooling, and power plant or may contract with a private entity for the operation of any such plant, with or without solicitation of bids, for any amount that the department determines to be in the best interest of the state. Notwithstanding ss. 196.49 and 196.80, no approval or certification of the public service commission is necessary for a public utility to purchase, or contract for the operation of, such a plant, and any such purchase is considered to be in the public interest and to comply with the criteria for certification of a project under s. 196.49 (3) (b).” (Budget Repair Bill, Section 44, 16.896).<ref name=pk/>
