Despite Scott Walker's deal, Wisconsin Republicans still divided over transportation budget
Despite an effort on Thursday by Gov. Scott Walker to break the impasse, Republican lawmakers may not be much closer to reaching a deal on transportation funding for the 2017-19 budget.
The budget process has effectively been at a standstill since May, as the Legislature's Republican majority struggles to reach an agreement on how to fund the state's roads. Assembly Republicans are holding out for new revenue, which Senate Republicans firmly oppose. Senate Republicans want to borrow at higher levels than what Walker proposed, but Assembly Republicans want to borrow less.
Walker sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, on Thursday, offering a "reasonable proposal" to help the Legislature reach an agreement.
Walker's proposal would cut the level of bonding down from $500 million to $300 million, approve contingency bonding linked to additional federal funding to keep mega projects in southeastern Wisconsin on track and hold firm to his pledge to not raise gas taxes or vehicle registration fees.
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