Wisconsin’s Building Commission has unanimously approved Gov. Scott Walker’s capital budget that would delay several building projects, but the plan might yet undergo changes in the state Legislature.
While Walker’s transportation budget would significantly increase borrowing, his capital budget would be the state’s smallest in more than a decade. Walker would slow down several building projects, many of them on University of Wisconsin campuses, including a $108 million chemistry building at the UW-Madison.
Rep. Rob Swearingen, R-Rhinelander, voted for the changes as a member of the Building Commission, but he said the current chemistry building is in disrepair.
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“It is possible, however, that maybe Joint Finance might address that as well, so we’ll see what happens,” Swearingen said. “But I think it’s a valid concern. I think it’s a project, at this point, that needs to be done.”
Other projects delayed include a $75 million research center at UW-Milwaukee and a nearly $66 million hospital for the Winnebago Mental Health Institute.
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