Sen. Kapenga
State Senator Chris Kapenga says he’s a “yes” vote on the state budget. “I now can confirm I am firmly in the yes column,” the Delafield Republican said Wednesday morning. “There is nothing I want more than to see the budget pass through the legislature – including the Tesla provision – and go to the governor’s desk for signature.”
held a press conference just before the Senate took the floor today/Wednesday. The so-called “Tesla provision” was inserted into the budget by the Assembly. Kapenga has rebuilt several Teslas and has sold some Tesla battery packs, but he said that it’s a hobby and not a money maker for him. The provision would allow Tesla to sell its cars directly to consumers in Wisconsin without the need of a dealership network.
Kapenga said the Tesla provision by itself was not enough to get him to vote yes. “The Tesla provision is not something that I think is material enough to get me there,” he said. “It was a combination of things.”
Kapenga’s support should mean that majority Republicans will have enough votes to pass the budget. Conservative Republicans David Craig and Steve Nass have already indicated that they will not support the plan because it spends too much money. If they were joined by one other GOP member, the spending plan would lack the needed votes.