Assembly Speaker Robin Vos tells WisPolitics it will be essential to have a state, local and team contribution to a package to cover maintenance costs at the Milwaukee Brewers stadium in exchange for a commitment from the team to remain in Wisconsin.
The Rochester Republican also says Republicans are nowhere near wrapping up their discussions on the proposal.
Vos charged state Rep. Rob Brooks with working on a framework. The Saukville Republican told WisPolitics last week the package has evolved into a $698 million proposal that would cover 27 years.
It includes $463 million from the state through taxes off Milwaukee Brewers players and personnel, as well as visiting players. It calls for an additional $100 million from the team through things like higher rent than what it’s currently playing. And local governments would be on the hook for $135 million, or about $5 million a year.
Milwaukee County and city officials have balked at putting money toward the stadium, though Republicans have insisted that is a key component to getting it through the GOP-controlled Legislature.
“We are nowhere near specifics. His are some proposals,” Vos said of Brooks’ work. “But we’re not settled on the final numbers. We are not settled on that stuff, because we are still piecing together the whole package.”
Vos said Assembly Republicans have yet to meet as a caucus on the Brewers bill, as well as other fall priorities. That meeting will wait until after a bipartisan group of Wisconsin lawmakers return from a trip to Ireland later this month as part of a National Conference on State Legislatures program.
Vos is the outgoing president of NCSL and will hand the gavel over to his successor next week during a meeting in Indianapolis. He spoke with WisPolitics about his experience leading the group for a second time after serving as president from 2019-21.
See today’s PM Update for more from that interview.
