An artist’s concept of the new Milwaukee Bucks arena.
A top Republican in the state Assembly says his chamber will likely take up a financing plan for a new Milwaukee Bucks arena next week.
Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauna) says lawmakers will be on July 28th to open debate on the bill, which passed the Senate last week on a bipartisan 21-10 vote. The plan calls for the public providing about half of the $500 million cost of the downtown Milwaukee arena, with the owners of the Bucks covering the rest.
Backers of the plan say it will protect an important part of Milwaukee’s economy, after the NBA threatened to move the Bucks if a new arena is not built. However, several lawmakers have criticized using taxpayer funding to build the arena.
The Assembly will likely need several Democrats to support the bill, in order for it to pass.