GREEN BAY, Wis. — Gov. Tony Evers continued his National Travel and Tourism Week tour across Wisconsin on Tuesday, with a stop at the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame to call upon Republican lawmakers to free up funds for the upcoming NFL draft.
Despite $10 million having been set aside in the state budget, one more step must happen as the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC) needs to vote to release already-approved funding to help communities across Wisconsin host large-scale events.
“We sometimes have to pray for rain, and it rains. This is one of those—that we’re praying for them to do their job,” Gov. Evers told reporters.
The governor feels the clock is ticking for Republicans to take the final step and release the money to establish the Opportunity Attraction and Promotion Fund that would help communities cover the costs of major events, such as the 2025 NFL Draft.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous that somehow one small body of the Legislature, frankly without any authority to delay it, continues to delay things like this,” Gov. Evers said.
Once those dollars are released, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and the state’s Department of Tourism can come up with guidelines to get the funds out the door.
“It passed in a bipartisan way, I signed it, and it’s time for us to get that money and make sure that tourism has the money they need in order to continue doing the great job they’re doing,” Gov. Evers added.
Upon request, the JFC co-chairs State Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, and State Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, released a statement in response:
“The Joint Committee on Finance will review these requests just like we review all 13.10 requests.”
The latest push from Gov. Evers is part of a bigger ongoing fight. Last week, the governor sued the Republican-controlled Legislature over not releasing money for a K-12 literacy program. However, money to fight PFAS contamination and address hospital closures also remains tied up—all totaling almost $200 million.