News of the Day March 26, 2025
Building Commission Deadlocks on Governor’s $4.3 Billion Capital Budget

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.

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.