Contact: Rep. Katrina Shankland, (608) 267-9649
MADISON – Today, Republican members of the Joint Finance Committee voted to allocate an additional $22 million to roads surrounding Foxconn. Democrats offered an alternative motion that would have ensured that new dollars are invested in local communities around the state rather at the Foxconn site.
Rep. Katrina Shankland (D-Stevens Point) released the following statement in response:
“When will Foxconn have enough? From $252 million in bonding to the $22 million they voted to give Foxconn-related roads today, enough is enough. It’s our duty as stewards of taxpayer money to pass policies that benefit everyone in our state. While Republicans continue to prioritize Foxconn-related transportation projects, there is still no long-term solution in sight for our growing state transportation crisis. People in Wisconsin spend more than $600 on car repairs each year. It’s time to repair and maintain our roads.
“Republicans continue to favor a foreign company at the expense of communities across our state who deserve immediate road repairs. Their irresponsible budgeting means that the roads that taxpayers use to get home, to the grocery store, and to their children’s schools will continue to crumble as the Department of Transportation operates with the lowest state highway funding levels in the past decade.
“It’s clear where Republican priorities are — a foreign company gets precedent over people across our state. I am disappointed once again by their refusal to address the problems at hand. We need to take a hard look at real solutions that ensure that all Wisconsin taxpayers and communities get their piece of the pie.”
