Republicans crank up highway dispute
Madison– Wisconsin Republicans amped up the debate over road funding Monday, with one side releasing a video to highlight the poor condition of highways and the other warning that drivers could be hit with a big tax increase.
Monday’s positioning underscored the deep divisions among Republicans who control Wisconsin’s government when it comes to spending on highways.
The state faces a road funding gap of about $1 billion over the next two years.
Gov. Scott Walker says he won’t raise gas taxes or vehicle fees unless an equivalent cut is made in other taxes. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) argues a tax or fee hike may be necessary.
No easy answers to Wisconsin road funding problem
To make his point, Vos released a video Monday of a recent ambulance ride he took with his cousin Mike Vos of the Burlington Rescue Squad. It shows equipment rattling around the back of the ambulance as it speeds over pothole-covered roads.
“If you’re doing CPR or something like that, it’s really difficult,” Mike Vos says in the video.
He also says the ambulance sometimes has to pull over to hook up IVs.
“While some think our roads are just fine, for people who deal with life and death situations, it makes a really big difference,” Robin Vos says in the video.
Walker issued a statement standing by his stance on highway funding and saying Assembly leaders should provide a detailed plan for how they want to handle the transportation budget.
"If the Assembly leadership’s plan is to raise taxes it would come as a surprise to November voters," Walker said in his statement. "They should make their plan public so the people understand exactly how much it would cost them."
Also Monday, Walker's Department of Transportation issued a report saying it routinely looked for ways to save money. This fiscal year, the department is saving nearly $100 million by redesigning projects, building cheaper turn lanes and taking other steps to avoid costs, Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb wrote.
Two Republicans in the state Senate contended that trying to keep all road projects on schedule could mean a dramatic increase in the state’s gas tax, which stands at 32.9 cents per gallon.
“We don’t have a revenue problem; we have a spending problem,” said a statement from Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield). “That’s where the focus needs to be, which is why I support Governor Walker’s plan, where taxes are not raised.”
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Kapenga and Sen. Duey Stroebel (R-Cedarburg) released a memo from the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau that found addressing the state's road funding needs without borrowing could require a gas tax increase of up to 28.1 cents per gallon.
The Assembly speaker responded that the senators were engaging in fear mongering because no one wants to see a near doubling of the gas tax.
The memo did not look at other options, such as borrowing more money, delaying certain projects or diverting money from other parts of state government toward highways.
The dispute over transportation is expected to be one of the biggest fights lawmakers have next year as they develop the state budget.
The Assembly Transportation Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday to begin to consider its options.