Republicans on Wisconsin’s state building commission have once again rejected Democratic Governor Tony Evers’ proposed capital budget for the upcoming fiscal years. The plan, totaling $4.1 billion, now heads to the Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee without a recommendation from the commission.

Evers’ proposal includes a range of projects, such as demolishing the deteriorating Humanities Building at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and addressing deferred maintenance statewide. However, Republicans, led by Senate President Mary Felzkowski, voiced concerns about the extensive borrowing involved.

“There’s a lot of really worthy projects in this capital budget, but this is $3.85 billion in new bonding,” Felzkowski said. “I think to get a more appropriate level, further discussion is needed, and we need to hear from stakeholders and the public. And that just hasn’t happened.”

The commission ultimately deadlocked on the governor’s plan, with a series of 4-4 votes. Felzkowski, alongside other Republicans, voted against the proposal. This marks the latest in a series of rejections from Republicans since Evers took office in 2019.

Among the highlighted initiatives in Evers’ proposal is a nearly half-a-billion-dollar plan to restructure the state’s prison system, including renovations to existing facilities and the closure of the Green Bay Correctional Institution. The proposal is part of a broader plan to reduce Wisconsin’s prison population, which currently exceeds 23,000 people, by expanding programs for nonviolent offenders and decreasing capacity by about 700 individuals.

However, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, indicated last month that Republican lawmakers would likely offer their own plan to reorganize the state’s prison system, which could eliminate Evers' proposal.

Ahead of the commission’s vote, Evers emphasized the importance of his capital budget gaining bipartisan support.

“We can’t afford to kick the can down the road on key infrastructure projects across our state, most especially as the cost of building materials may only get more expensive with each day of delay due to potential tariff taxes and trade wars,” Evers said.

The debate over the capital budget proposal highlights ongoing partisan divides in Wisconsin regarding how best to address the state’s infrastructure needs. Republicans argue that the level of borrowing proposed by Evers is excessive and caution that it could lead to long-term fiscal challenges. Democrats, however, stress the importance of investing in infrastructure now, especially as construction costs continue to rise.

This proposal is expected to continue to stir debate as it moves through the legislative process, particularly in light of the challenges facing Wisconsin’s prison system and the need for significant investments in higher education facilities like the Humanities Building at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The outcome of this proposal will likely influence the state’s budgeting priorities for years to come.

Originally reported by Sarah Lehr in Wisconsin Public Radio.