A bill to rescue two shuttered paper mills from the scrap heap passed the state Assembly Thursday, but Senate action is not expected until January, while one of the mills is scheduled to be auctioned off next week.

A spokesman for a co-operative of timber industry businesses interested in buying Park Falls Pulp and Paper said Thursday evening the group lacked the backing it would need to move ahead without approval by the state Senate and Gov. Tony Evers on the legislation.