Here & Now

Vos, LeMahieu Differ over Shared Revenue Bill Provision

Frederica Freyberg:

At the Capitol this week, Assembly Republicans release their changes to the shared revenue bill to increase funding to Wisconsin communities. Within their proposal local governments across the state will now see additional increases, except for Milwaukee, which is to remain capped at 10%. What hasn’t changed is the provision allowing Milwaukee to impose a sales tax but this must be approved by voters through a county referendum. Governor Tony Evers had expressed optimism regarding ongoing negotiations with Republican leaders but not long after making that statement, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said they are done negotiating.

Robin Vos:

We feel like the bill that’s coming forward is the result of those good faith negotiations. Everybody has to take their own position but we are done negotiating. We are not going to take changes. We are not going to change the bill substantially. What we have before us is the deal we are going to send to our colleagues in the state Senate.

Frederica Freyberg:

But the speaker’s colleagues in the state Senate were not happy.

Devin LeMahieu:

There are two houses in the state legislature. It’s unfortunate he is drawing the line in the sand now with his version of the bill and stopping negotiations on a bill that not everybody’s in agreement on. We are going to do our due diligence. Make sure we have a bill that at least all the stakeholders can get behind and if the Assembly at some point refuses to take up that bill, a bill that is going to make generationally changes to townships, counties, municipalities all around the state, he is going to have to answer to his caucus at that point.