Wisconsin’s top Republican said Wednesday that a plan put forward by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and the Milwaukee Brewers to spend nearly $300 million in taxpayer money on improvements to the stadium where the team plays was likely dead in the GOP-controlled Legislature.
But Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he hoped Republicans could devise a better deal that would look for a commitment from the team to remain in Milwaukee longer and not rely as heavily on money from a one-time budget surplus.
Under the Evers plan, in exchange for the state spending $290 million on repairs, the Brewers’ lease would be extended by 13 years, through 2043.
“I’m not sure the amount of time he’s asking the team to stay here is correct,” Vos told reporters. “I think the deal that he cut is not a very good one for the taxpayer.”
Earlier Wednesday, a coalition of Wisconsin business, tourism and health care leaders, former office holders and others announced that it is working to find a bipartisan solution to keep the Brewers in the state “for the next generation,” said the group’s leader, Omar Shaikh, a Milwaukee-area restaurant owner and developer.