Evers’ budget for state building projects rejected, for now

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ $3.8 billion proposed spending on state building projects got the thumbs down from Republicans as expected on Thursday, sending the final decision on funding to the GOP-controlled Legislature’s budget committee.

Republicans on the state building commission voted against Evers' proposal, just as they have for his prior two budgets. That means it will be up to the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee to make the final call.

That committee begins taking testimony from state agencies about the Evers budget on Tuesday. It will build the budget based off the current one, not what Evers proposed in February. The Legislature is expected to pass its plan sometime in June, sending it to Evers who can make changes with his line-item veto power.

Two years ago, Republicans approved spending $1.5 billion on building projects out of the $2.4 billion that Evers proposed. In 2019, Evers’ first budget, Republicans approved $1.9 billion out of $2.5 billion that Evers wanted.

Evers has called for tapping the state’s projected $7 billion budget surplus to pay for building projects in cash, rather than more borrowing. But Republicans have criticized his plan as being too costly and have promised to cut it back.