Billings introduces rail safety bill similar to one in Minnesota

Bill comes after two train
derailments in Wisconsin over weekend

Jill Billings is not breaking new ground with new legislation meant to tackle rail safety issues in Wisconsin. 

La Crosse’s state rep says the bipartisan bill getting introduced in Madison is modeled after rail safety legislation already enacted in Minnesota and for good reason.

“I certainly wanted our residents in Wisconsin, at the minimum, to be just as safe as residents are in Minnesota, just across the river,” Billings said.

Billing’s bill, presented at the city’s Cass Street rail crossing, in the midst of a local group that’s been fighting for rail safety in La Crosse, comes after a couple derailments in Wisconsin over the weekend.

Although those derailments led to evacuations and spills, nobody apparently was injured.