Press Release: Gov. Evers Reacts to Decision Rejecting $2.38 Billion Capital Budget to Provide Estimated 29,000 Family-Supporting Jobs, $4.3 Billion in Economic Impact

State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 03/17/2021 05:57 PM CDT
Office of Governor Tony Evers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 17, 2021
Contact: GovPress@wisconsin.gov 
 
Gov. Evers Reacts to Decision Rejecting $2.38 Billion Capital Budget to Provide Estimated 29,000 Family-Supporting Jobs, $4.3 Billion in Economic Impact
Days after Gov. Evers urged bipartisan support, Republicans obstruct state infrastructure investments

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today released a statement after Republicans on the State Building Commission (SBC) deadlocked on the commission on a 4-4 vote on every motion that included each project in the governor's capital budget recommendations, rejecting the governor's proposed $2.38 billion in investments in state infrastructure. Gov. Evers' plan, which included major projects in 31 of Wisconsin's 72 counties, was expected to provide approximately 29,000 family-supporting jobs and an estimated $4.3 billion in economic impact.

The move by Republicans on the SBC comes just days after Gov. Evers urged the Commission to reach a bipartisan agreement on the 2021-23 Capital Budget. The governor's urging came in an effort to avoid a repeat of the 2019-21 Capital Budget process during which Republicans abandoned the decades-old institutional tradition of recommending project requests with bipartisan support. Today's decision by Republicans on the Commission marks only the second time in SBC records the Commission has failed to collaborate on a State Building Program.

“Every capital budget proposal is an investment in our state's future, but this one is particularly important because it's about making sure our state and our economy can bounce back from this pandemic and better than we were before it hit,” said Gov. Evers. “These investments would have helped ensure tens of thousands of jobs and billions in estimated economic impact for our state. It's disappointing but not surprising that once again Republicans have decided to play politics instead of putting people and our economic recovery first.”

The complete 2021-2023 Capital Budget agency requests and governor’s recommendations can be found here. The SBC is chaired by Gov. Evers and made up of the following members:

  • Sen. Janis Ringhand
  • Sen. Jerry Petrowski
  • Sen. Andre Jacque
  • Rep. Jill Billings
  • Rep. Rob Swearingen
  • Rep. Robert Wittke
  • Summer Strand, citizen member
 
###