June 24, 2025

By Lane Kimble

State Sen. Cory Tomczyk recognizes the problem: we can’t rely forever on one-time fixes to fill a billion-dollar transportation funding hole.

Solving that problem moving forward, however, remains elusive.

“Something’s got to give.  Something has to change,” Tomczyk said.  “We’ve gotten almost 20 years of no increase in the gas tax.  Who’s excited about raising the gas tax?  No one.  But where’s the money going to come from?

“We’re going to have to pay the piper at some point.”

Tomczyk shared his thoughts on the transportation budget during this past Sunday’s “In Focus” on Spectrum News 1 (Link allows up to five video views without a Spectrum account).  The Republican from Mosinee chairs the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government.

Tomczyk would like to have “serious conversations” about tolling, the gas tax, and other revenue generators over the next two years, noting the 2027-29 budget will require long term solutions.

He criticized Gov. Tony Evers’ current budget proposals for wasting money on unnecessary programs.

“There are other things that we do as a government that maybe we shouldn’t be spending money on.  We should attend to those more basic needs: safety, transportation, things of that nature,” Tomczyk said.  “It’s a basic expectation of the taxpayers that we make sure they have good roads to roll on.”

Sunday’s “In Focus” show also included a six-minute interview with WTBA Executive Director Steve Baas.