LA CROSSE. Wis. -- Call it unintended consequences. A proposed mine in far northern Wisconsin could impact hundreds of homeowners in the La Crosse area.

It all has to do with flood insurance coverage.

"It's just like they forget us," said Mark Stuhr, who lives on Liberty Street in La Crosse.

Stuhr bought this home on the city's northside about four years ago. Since it's in a floodplain, his mortgage required him to also purchase federal flood insurance.

"I was told it's required. Well if I can't get it, what am I supposed to do?" said Stuhr.

He is one of about 1,000 homeowners in La Crosse County (and about 16,000 statewide) faced with that unanswered question right now.

"Here in La Crosse in particular, 1,000 homes losing flood insurance coverage, that's just not acceptable," said State Rep. Steve Doyle (D-Onalaska).

Doyle did not support the plan approved last week in the State Assembly. It's designed to fast-track an iron mine near Lake Superior, partly be exempting the proposed site out of a floodplain.

In response, FEMA has threatened to pull flood insurance for everyone in the state.

"Their homes are essentially going to be worthless.1,000 families would be trading that for the possibility of some jobs in northern Wisconsin. That doesn't seem like a really good balance to me," said Doyle.

The Assembly's plan does not currently have enough votes to pass in the State Senate. However, that hasn't stopped those who could lose their flood insurance from worrying.

"I wonder if they're going to try and do anything about it? Try and correct it.....or let it go as is and let us worry about it ourselves," said Stuhr.

State Sen. Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center), the lone Republican in the Senate preventing the current version of the bill from passing, has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday morning. He's expected  to announce his alternative version of the mining bill.

Assembly Republicans who approved the current version of the bill say it's needed to make sure the mining company stays in Wisconsin.

Company officials say the site would create 700 mining jobs and several thousand more in connection to the operation.