Vos calls for $300 million more for roads

Madison — Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and other Republicans in his house called Thursday for sending $300 million to state highways over the next two years and cutting taxes by the same amount or more.

Catching hold of more than $700 million in new state money now expected through the summer of 2019, Vos essentially called for raising either the gas tax or vehicle registration fees to pay for roads while cutting income taxes or property taxes.

The Rochester Republican did not say whether he preferred a gas tax or fee increase but said he was committed to lowering other taxes to keep the tax burden from rising overall. Raising $300 million over two years with the gas tax would cost drivers about 4.5 cents per gallon. The current gas tax is 32.9 cents per gallon.

“We can cut taxes, fix our roads and prioritize education: it’s a win, win, win situation, and everyone, including the governor, can keep their promises to taxpayers," Vos said in a statement.

Vos made the comments a day after the Legislature's budget office projected the state would have more money in coming years than previously estimated because of higher-than-expected tax collections and lower-than-expected spending.

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Assembly Republicans have clashed on road funding with GOP Gov. Scott Walker, who has said he would not raise the gas tax or vehicle fees unless corresponding cuts were made with other taxes. The latest proposal fits Walker's guidelines and would also help prevent rising levels of debt for roads, which have worried lawmakers of both parties.

"For sure, it's not a tax increase. At worst, it's neutral," Vos said of his framework.

The governor did not immediately say whether he would embrace the Assembly plan, but Walker has emphasized other priorities for the new money flowing into state coffers. He wants to boost spending for K-12 education and the University of Wisconsin System so tuition can be cut.

"We look forward to hearing more details," Walker spokesman Tom Evenson said. "Governor Walker’s budget priorities haven’t changed. His budget will increase funding for public education at all levels, continue tax relief and reward work."

Vos said he had the backing of his Assembly GOP caucus for his proposal and in a release Thursday he included statements of support from Republican lawmakers from around the state, including the Milwaukee suburbs, the Fox Valley and western and southern Wisconsin.

Rep. Romaine Quinn (R-Rice Lake), for instance, said the state needed to find a "sustainable, long-term solution" that didn't lean too heavily on loans.

"The first rule of getting stuck in a hole is, stop digging — we can’t borrow our way out of a hole in the transportation budget,” Quinn said in the statement. “This state budget is the perfect opportunity to both give hard-working families a tax break and make sure that we’re not dealing with the same problems down the road.”

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) has deferred to Walker on the road funding issue in recent months and he held to that stance Thursday.

"Any revenue increase within the transportation fund will garner a great deal of discussion as legislative leaders ... and it will ultimately be up to the governor whether Representative Vos' proposal meets his criteria," Fitzgerald said in a statement.

The debate over highway funding comes amid warnings from the federal government that Wisconsin should hold off on plans for major new road projects and instead finish ones that were delayed after they started.

Among the concerns of the Federal Highway Administration is the reconstruction of I-94 south of Milwaukee. That project was originally supposed to be done last year but now may not be complete until 2028. The project is near Vos' district and has been a top priority for him.

The federal government provides funding for about a quarter of Wisconsin's transportation budget and must sign off on projects that it helps pay for.

Patrick Marley can be reached at patrick.marley@jrn.com and twitter.com/patrickdmarley. Jason Stein can be reached at jason.stein@jrn.com and twitter.com/jasonmdstein.