In the video Wisconsin Assembly Republicans posted on YouTube in September, Steineke and Roth focused on one accidentally created artificial wetland to argue for removing current restrictions on all state-regulated wetlands.

“I think the biggest thing people need to know is we are only one of three states that regulates isolated artificial wetlands the way we do,” Steineke said.

Efforts to reach Steineke and Roth were unsuccessful. Their video clip describes a housing deal that fell through in 2006 after heavy equipment had begun working on the site. The equipment left low spots in the soil that filled with water. By the time work resumed, the DNR said the wet areas were wetlands, and that meant the site needed to be redesigned, Steineke said.

“We’re bringing this bill forward because we want more high-quality wetlands in Wisconsin,” said Roth, who serves as Senate president. “We do that by removing the DNR’s oversight on isolated nonfederal wetlands and that’s so very important because right now the DNR is standing in the way of our businesses being able to expand.”