State lawmakers are considering another Wisconsin Jobs Creation Act this week as part of an effort to create a more positive environment for business in Wisconsin.

Three Republican lawmakers — including Assembly Speaker John Gard, R-Peshtigo; Rep. Jean Hundertmark, R-Clintonville; and Sen. Joe Liebham, R-Sheboygan — proposed what they are calling the Jobs Creation Act II. They hope to replicate the success of the first Jobs Act, passed in 2003.

More than 70,000 jobs were created in the state last year, according to a release. The new legislation seeks to help business growth in Wisconsin by getting rid of administrative red tape.

“We are still losing jobs in Wisconsin,” Bob Delaporte, communications director for Gard, said. “We are trying to speed up the process and make it more fair.”

Lawmakers hope to make the business environment friendlier by cutting down on permitting laws and eliminating other state processes they see as unneeded.

Many of the changes included in the two bills that compose the act attempt to make permitting a less time-consuming and tedious process.

The first bill states the DNR can issue streamlined permits for construction that do not expire. It also stipulates that general permits can act as construction permits and operation permits.

“We’ve had situations where businesses have applied for business permits in Wisconsin and they were able to get up and running in Kansas before they got a response back from the DNR,” Delaporte said.

Gov. Jim Doyle’s office also sees permitting issues as a major problem in Wisconsin. Doyle spokesperson Melanie Fonder says the governor believes it is possible to solve permitting problems.

“We believe it is possible to make Wisconsin have a business-friendly climate and speed the permitting process while protecting the environment,” Fonder said.

The second part of the bill deals with speeding up legal processes in the state. One proposed provision seeks to cut down on “junk science,” which is defined as testimony based on insufficient facts or data.

“Most other states have definite standards on what constitutes being an expert,” Delaporte said. “Cases shouldn’t go on if they are based on questionable experts.”

The bill also discusses the limitation of frivolous lawsuits. Delaporte says Wisconsin cannot be a friendly environment for businesses if companies come to the state only to face unnecessary legal proceedings.

But not everyone believes the current atmosphere in the state is unfriendly to business.

The Wisconsin Academy of Trial Lawyers is a strong opponent of the bill. The academy believes the current standard on expert witnesses is working well, and that if the rules of evidence are changed, the Supreme Court — and not the Legislature — should make the appropriate alterations.

“We feel if there is a problem, there needs to be compelling evidence of a problem and that has not been demonstrated by the proponents of this legislation,” Ruth Simpson, research director for the academy, said.

Fonder says the state has seen positive results from the last act and will scrutinize the new proposals by considering all sides of the issue.

“We will review it closely as it goes through the process but I don’t foresee any problems,” Fonder said.