RHINELANDER, Wis.— The Legislature's budget-writing committee continued its tour around Wisconsin with a stop in Rhinelander on Wednesday.
Lots of people had something to say about infrastructure. Whether it was broadband expansion or roads, even support for rail transportation.
Retired physicist Clark Johnson drove up from Madison to remind lawmakers of Rhinelander's rail history.
“Transportation is a big issue, and it's especially a big issue up here in the north where the people are fairly far apart and there is absolutely no public transit of any kind whatsoever,” Johnson said.
Johnson wants to see Gov. Evers' funding for transportation stay in the budget so much so he plans to testify at Thursday's public hearing too.
“I'm going to take a different tact in Menomonie because the Eau Claire area is being quite successful in stirring up interest in trains between Eau Claire and the Twin Cities,” Johnson said.
Meanwhile, from Minocqua to Milwaukee, several local leaders also testified before the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) Wednesday.
Many of them asked for more flexibility to levy taxes to help with budget struggles.
“You are not raising anybody's taxes,” Town of Minocqua Chairman Mark Hartzheim told the committee. “You're just giving the town authority to ask its citizens if they would, in a binding referendum, support it.”
Milwaukee Common Council President Cavalier Johnson also said urban areas are facing similar issues.
“The problem we need to solve is really quite simple,” Johnson said. “Our costs, especially related to pension and wage benefits for public safety, continue to rise and our revenues have remained flat.”
Before Wednesday's hearing, Democrats touted the governor's spending plan and said it focuses on advancements that could benefit everyone across the Badger State.
“Gov. Evers' budget focuses on the future, and that's where Democrats want to put our effort and attention as well,” State Rep. Evan Goyke (D-Milwaukee) said. “This budget makes generational investments in education, transportation, the environment, small businesses, and we're here to support it.”
Republicans, however, pointed to the price tag and said many of the proposals are simply too expensive.
“If we would adopt Governor Evers' budget, as is, we would go from that strong financial position, the deficit being eliminated, to a deficit again at the end of the budget,” State Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green), who co-chairs the committee, said.
Whether it's more talk of rail or roads, lawmakers will hear what people have to say during another public hearing in Menomonie on Thursday.
The committee's final hearing will be a virtual one held next Wednesday before members on the committee get to work on crafting their version of the budget.