Rep. Jim Steineke
A financing plan for a new Milwaukee Bucks arena is now in the hands of the Assembly, and lawmakers there plan to spend some time going over it before deciding what to do with the package.
Assembly Republican Leader Jim Steineke (R-Vandenbroek) said Thursday that leadership plans to sit down with Democrats next week to go over the proposal, which passed in the Senate Wednesday on a bipartisan 21-10 vote, and they hope to carry over that strong support in his chamber. “I think it definitely helps that it was a good bipartisan vote,” Steineke said. “I think people understand that if the arena doesn’t go forward the state loses money. It’s just as simple as that.”
Still, Steineke said there are lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who have philosophical issues with the proposal, which uses taxpayer funding to help cover about half the cost of the $500 million dollar arena. Despite those concerns, he believes the chamber will eventually pass a financing plan.
WHBY