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Wisconsin Budget Impasse Continues

Assembly Speaker Says Republicans Are Discussing Which Transportation Projects They May Cut

QuidnuncQuixot (CC-BY-SA).

There’s no telling when the Legislature’s budget committee will meet to finish its work, with majority Republicans still negotiating key issues that have divided them for months.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told reporters Tuesday that Republicans are talking about which projects to cut if the state cuts $800 million in borrowing from Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed transportation budget. He also said Republicans have not decided whether or not to keep a public financing deal for a new Milwaukee Bucks arena in the budget.

Vos was asked whether a majority of his 63 members could support the Bucks deal.

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“Oh, I think so to some extent,” he replied. “I mean, they all want to see the details, which is why we haven’t taken a vote count. We haven’t talked it through because I want to give people an opportunity to actually see the draft and be able to ask questions,” said Vos.

Vos said discussions on changing Wisconsin’s prevailing wage law were “fluid” and that Republicans were still negotiating changes to Wisconsin’s tax laws.

Meanwhile, Joint Finance Committee co-chairwoman Sen. Alberta Darling said Tuesday that the Joint Finance Committee will not meet on Wednesday to finish the budget as hoped. Darling said the goal is to meet Thursday or Friday.

Myranda Tanck, spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, also said that Fitzgerald’s meeting on Monday night with party leaders was productive.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally an Associated Press story. It his since been updated with original reporting.