The state Building Commission again deadlocked on the Gov. Tony Evers’ capital budget, sending it to the GOP-run Joint Finance Committee with no recommendation as Republican lawmakers argued more discussion was needed.
Senate President Mary Felzkowski, R-Tomahawk, told Evers at the outset of yesterday’s meeting that a lot of worthy projects had been proposed. But she raised concerns about the more than $3.8 billion in new bonding he had proposed, noting it was more than what the Legislature had approved in the past five capital budgets combined.
“I think to get to a more appropriate level, further discussion is needed, and we need to hear from stakeholders and the public, and that just hasn’t happened,” Felzkowski said.
Sen. Andre Jacque, R-New Franken, added he believed the capital budget needed to be considered in context of other priorities such as tax cuts, road funding and the costs to continuing Medicaid programs. He argued it was premature to commit to recommending a capital budget.
The four GOP lawmakers backed a motion upfront that would’ve sent the guv’s $4.3 billion capital budget to the Joint Finance Committee with no recommendation. But the guv, his appointees and the two Dem legislators opposed the move. The commission then deadlocked 4-4 on each agency proposal in the document, ending with the same result as the GOP motion.
It is the fourth straight time the commission has deadlocked with Republicans in control of the Legislature — giving them four spots on the body — and Evers in the East Wing, giving his party the other four.
The deadlocked vote six years ago was believed to be the first time the commission had sent the capital budget to the Finance Committee without a recommendation.
One of the big-ticket items in Evers’ capital budget is the $493 million in construction costs of his previously announced plan to revamp the state’s prison system.
Felzkowski called the guv’s plan a missed opportunity because GOP lawmakers hadn’t been consulted as Evers put it together. Felzkowski’s district includes the troubled youth prisons, Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake. She noted corrections reform has been a priority for a number of lawmakers.
“We could’ve been brought in earlier to discuss the changes,” she said.
Evers, his appointees and Dem lawmakers on the commission didn’t respond to the comments from GOP lawmakers.
