Walker Says Transportation Funding Deal Can Be Reached This Week

Gov. Scott Walker says he thinks a transportation deal can be reached in the state Legislature’s budget committee this week.

The amount of borrowing for the transportation budget is one of the sticking points between the GOP governor and the Republican-dominated Joint Finance Committee, according to one of the committee’s co-chairs.

Walker said he and his staff are talking regularly with legislative leaders, but he said he won’t break a campaign promise he made last year.

“While I support a vibrant transportation system, I don’t support raising revenues — be it a gas tax or vehicle registration fee — without an offsetting reduction in taxes somewhere else in the budget. And so far, that’s not been in any of the proposals. They’ve talked about increasing revenues but not, at the same time, lowering the burden on hardworking taxpayers elsewhere.”

Republican lawmakers say they’re uncomfortable with the $1.3 billion the governor wants to borrow for transportation, and say they are looking to trim or delay some highway projects.