The Latest: Wisconsin Senate to take up Foxconn next week

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The Latest on Joint Finance Committee approval of Foxconn bill (all times local):

5:55 p.m.

The Wisconsin Senate plans to vote next week on a $3 billion incentive bill for electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn Technology Group.

The Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee passed a new version of the bill on Tuesday. The Senate plans to vote on it Sept. 12.

Under the latest version of the bill, any lawsuit related to the Foxconn plant would skip the state appeals court and head straight to the conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Critics have complained about the easing of environmental regulations under the proposal and up to $2.85 billion in cash payments Foxconn could receive if it creates 13,000 jobs and invests $10 billion.

Foxconn says it will build a flat-screen manufacturing plant in southeast Wisconsin, its first outside of Asia.

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5:27 p.m.

Foxconn Technology Group could appeal lawsuits directly to the conservative controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court under changes to a $3 billion incentive package approved by the Legislature’s budget-writing committee.

The Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee approved the bill Tuesday on a party line 12-4 vote. That clears the way for the state Senate and Assembly to take it up later this month.

The committee approved some changes to the bill, including allowing any lawsuit involving Foxconn to skip the state appeals court and go straight to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. No other Wisconsin business is granted that expedited process.

The bill also waives state environmental regulations to speed construction of the plant. Foxconn has said it may invest $10 billion and employ 13,000 at the flat-screen construction plant.

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2:34 p.m.

The Wisconsin Legislature may change state law to expedite court appeals involving the proposed plant to be built by Foxconn Technology Group.

The Legislature’s budget-writing committee was to vote on a proposal Tuesday that would require the state Supreme Court to hear any appeals of circuit court rulings involving Foxconn. That would remove the state appeals court from the process.

Republicans who control the Joint Finance Committee planned to bring forward the change for a vote Tuesday.

It would also require that any circuit court ruling involving Foxconn be immediately put on hold pending review by the state Supreme Court. That, too, is a drastic change from current law that requires a judge to decide whether to place a ruling on hold while an appeal is pending.