Groups call for more local transportation spending in budget 

Published: April 23, 2013
Tags: 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, budget, Hoan Bridge, Mike Gottlieb, Sierra Club, WisDOT, Wispirg, Zoo Interchange

A coalition of nonprofit groups on Tuesday called for the adoption of a state transportation budget that would put more money into local roads and transit at the expense of highways, according to a news release put out by the groups.

DNR undergoes reorganization

Published: August 18, 2011
Tags: 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, Department of Natural Resources, DNR, Scott Walker, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is being reorganized in a way that Gov. Scott Walker’s administration says will increase its responsiveness to the public but not weaken environmental regulations. Walker’s administration announced Thursday that the DNR will become the state’s first “Enterprise Agency,” a move designed to give it more [...]

Proposed bill would let TIF districts cross municipal borders 

Published: June 9, 2011
Tags: 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, Aubinger, Chad Weininger, Cornerstone, Ehlers & Associates, Hiniker, Jim Schmitt, Lambeau Field, Michael Harrigan, Robert Cowles, tax incremental finance districts, TIF

By James Briggs A proposed bill floating through the Legislature would let cities team up on tax incentives for development projects. The bill, co-authored by a pair of Green Bay Republicans, Rep. Chad Weininger and Sen. Robert Cowles, would let neighboring municipalities create tax incremental finance districts that cross city borders. TIF districts let municipalities [...]

Will Republicans’ victories be a win for the construction industry? 

Published: November 3, 2010
Tags: 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, ABC, Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin Inc., Hiniker, Mielke, Reihl, Scott Walker, Traas, Wisconsin State Council of Carpenters, Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association, WTBA

By James Briggs In the wake of Tuesday’s midterm election, the 2011 state legislative agenda has become a little clearer — and in many cases, more promising than the past two years — for construction lobbyists. Republicans gained majorities in both chambers of the state Legislature and took control of the governor’s mansion. Pending recounts, [...]

Lawmaker calls for end to high-speed rail planning

By Paul Snyder A state lawmaker is calling on Gov. Jim Doyle to stop the state’s planning for the Milwaukee-to-Madison high-speed rail line. State Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, said Friday that GOP gubernatorial candidates Scott Walker and Mark Neumann committed to stopping work on the project if they are elected in November, and Wisconsin should [...]

Money eludes Dane County transit planners

By Paul Snyder A half-cent sales tax increase would give Dane County planners the money they need to craft a regional transit strategy. But the Dane County Regional Transit Authority needs the strategy to persuade voters to hand over the money. “Yeah, it’s a bit of a conundrum there,” said Steve Hiniker, executive director of [...]

Counties try to save state road budget

Published: June 3, 2010
Tags: 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, Bill Barribeau, Calumet, Calumet County Board, Dan Vrakas, Jeff Stone, Legislative Fiscal Bureau, Steve Hiniker, Waukesha

Sean Ryan sean.ryan@dailyreporter.com Supporters of protecting the state’s road budget from future raids are warning the loss of transportation money could get worse without a constitutional amendment. The boards of at least two Wisconsin counties — Waukesha and Calumet — are considering advisory referendums on the November ballots asking voters if they want the state [...]

Industry groups start drive for diesel rules (UPDATE)

By Paul Snyder Fearing a diesel emissions crackdown that could cripple construction company budgets, industry groups want new rules approved before the state has a chance to study the issue. The Wisconsin Clean Diesel Coalition — with the Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin, the Associated Builders & Contractors of Wisconsin Inc., the Wisconsin Transportation Builders [...]

Clean energy bill lacks details

By Paul Snyder Critics of Wisconsin’s clean energy bill are calling for a sharper focus on specific job creation numbers and a detailed explanation of how much the proposal will cost. “The cost is something we need to know and taxpayers need to know,” said state Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon. “I don’t think anybody’s against [...]

Bill’s transit provision irks local planners

By Paul Snyder A bill in the Wisconsin Legislature has the broad purpose of slowing global warming, but regional planners are fighting the provision they fear will eventually give the state control over local development. Eileen Bruskewitz, a member of the Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization, said MPOs should not have to take state orders to [...]