The long tangled tale of getting through the state legislature a simple request from Milwaukee County voters to save our bus system, while removing between $13 million to $20 million from the county property tax levy permanently, has taken another lurch forward. Legislative approval for one half the package requested by voters in a November 2008 referendum has been incorporated into a revised Assembly Bill 282, which was passed by the Assembly Transportation Committee on April 1. The bill now goes to the legislature's Joint Committee on Finance, which must approve it before a vote by the full Assembly.
The Transportation Committee had four transit bills waiting for action, all of which received unanimous favorable testimony at a hearing on March 11. Legislative approval for the expressed wishes of Milwaukee County voters, to fund the Milwaukee County Transit System with a half cent sales tax, was contained in AB 723, championed by Milwaukee's Rep. Tamara Grigsby, and by Representatives Barca, Turner, Sinicki, Zepnick, Kessler, Toles, Young, Pasch and Fields. That has now been incorporated into an expanded AB 282 – which also lays out a standard process for future creation of Regional Transit Authorities in the state. (If this had been law in 2008, Milwaukee County voters could have had a binding referendum, we would already be enjoying the property tax relief, and our bus system would have expanded with the new dedicated revenue source).
Grigsby celebrated the Transportation Committee vote, announcing “When it comes to RTA, the message is clear. It’s time to either get onboard or get out of the way. Today’s action makes it clear that we’re absolutely serious about moving forward with revitalizing transit and creating jobs in Wisconsin.”
Support and obstruction of this transit measure have both been bipartisan affairs. Gov. James Doyle vetoed a previous legislative measure which responded to Milwaukee voters' decision, while Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker has persistently tried to derail the proposal, even after county voters disregarded his advice to vote no on the referendum. (Walker has shown more interest in destroying MCTS than in cutting property tax bills by an average of $135 a year). Rep. Alvin Ott, a Republican member of the Transportation Committee, who worked to develop AB 282, supported the combined legislation in the final committee vote. A number of southeastern Wisconsin legislators, so far mostly Democrats, have rallied to get a measure passed this year, as have the CEO's of several major Wisconsin employers. Legislators from the Fox Cities and Eau Claire are also working to get the bill passed.
Among the members of the Joint Finance Committee now weighing the extent of voter support for AB 282 are southeastern Wisconsin legislators, Senator Lena Taylor, Rep. Tamara Grigsby, Rep. Cory Mason – all of whom have actively supported the legislation, Senator John Lehman, who has expressed some support while casting doubt on whether it will pass, Rep. Pedro Colon, who is expected to support the bill, and Senator Alberta Darling, a Republican who has not yet had an opportunity to vote on the bill, but has received communication from many constituents in favor. Recognized as a Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce 100% Pro-Business Legislator in 2006, Senator Darling may be responsive to the urgently expressed needs of Milwaukee area businesses for improved transit to get workers to newly opening jobs.
Finance Committee Co-Chairs Rep. Mark Pocan and Senator Mark Miller will also influence the priority of this bill on the committee calendar.
After a vote in the Joint Finance Committee, and approval by the Assembly, the bill also needs to be approved by the state Senate. It is rumored that Senate Majority Leader Russell Decker is hesitant to bring the bill up for a vote, for fear that Democrats will be accused of raising taxes. Voters dedicated to getting this transit bill passed before the current legislative session ends – from all over the state – have communicated that allowing voters in a county or city to decide by referendum WHETHER to adopt a tax, knowing the funds will be dedicated specifically to their local transit system, is not imposing new taxes on anyone. Transferring an essential public service from the property tax to a sales tax might indeed by an attractive option. It is also noteworthy that the only county to have a referendum on this question without waiting for the state to act, Milwaukee County, voted in favor.
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