Assembly passes Brewers stadium funding bill, ticket tax to be added soon

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- On a bipartisan vote, the Assembly passed a bill that would spend $546 million in public funds to upgrade American Family Field and keep the Brewers in Milwaukee until 2050.

The bill will now head to the Senate for consideration where additional changes are expected, such as adding a ticket tax on non-Brewers events. 

On Tuesday, a handful of Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the proposal (69-27) that was revised last week to gain their support and Gov. Tony Evers' by lowering the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County contribution to $135 million.

Adjustments were made after many Milwaukee-area Democrats raised concerns about how the original bill requested $202.5 million from the city and county. Now, both will pay $67.5 million over the next 27 years for renovations at the Brewers stadium.

The bill received mixed reviews with supporters calling it a good investment, while opponents disagreed. 

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos praised it as "win" for Wisconsin by noting the team and state would lose millions if the Brewers left.

Eleven lawmakers that represent Milwaukee County and surrounding counties including Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington voted against the legislation.

Rep. Supreme Moore Omokunde (D-Milwaukee) said the proposal is an example of "sticking it to Milwaukee" compared to other stadium deals that included contributions from other counties through a sales tax. 

"In a year Milwaukee is finally able to get above fiscally with the passage of shared revenue, we are being forced to take on the stadium funding burden," Moore Omokunde said. 

Rep. Rob Brooks, a Republican author of the bill, defended the deal and argued it's not an "anti-Milwaukee" given input he received from Milwaukee leaders including Mayor Cavalier Johnson and County Executive David Crowley. 

"If you would have told me I'm putting forward a bill that keep the brewers in Milwaukee and I would be accused of being anti-Milwaukee in doing so, I would have thought you were crazy," Brooks said. 

The state will cover the bulk of the costs at $411 million, and the Brewers will pitch in $100 million. Most of the spending would come from income taxes that Brewers employees and visiting teams pay to the stadium district board, the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District, which owns and operates the stadium.

The proposal also includes creating a study group to consider redeveloping around the ballpark, including utilizing parking spaces not frequently used. 

Officials have floated using some revenue to pay for a new scoreboard and winterizing the stadium to host other events throughout the year. It's part of the reason why Senate Republicans plan to add a ticket tax on non-Brewers events, but details on how that funding will be allocated has yet to be determined, Brooks said.

An audit of the stadium's district board is also likely to be added to the bill by the Senate, something Sen. Rob Cowles (R-Green Bay) and Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) advocated for. It's unclear when the Senate will vote on the proposal.

GOP lawmakers first introduced the proposal last month which first proposed spending $700 million with the state pitching in $400 million, Milwaukee and Milwaukee County paying $202.5 million and Brewers contributing $100 million.

Earlier this year, Republicans rejected Evers’ budget proposal that would have spent $290 million of the state's surplus on repairs to Am-Fam Field and in return the team would extend their lease to 2043. Republicans were opposed to using a portion of the state's projected surplus and argued the lease didn't run long enough.

The proposal passed by the Assembly differs from the funding formula that helped construct Miller Park, which opened in 2001. Back in 1995, lawmakers approved a 0.1% sales tax on five counties including Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington, and Waukesha. The tax, which ended in 2020, helped generate $609 million for Miller Park, now known as American Family Field.