February 9, 2023

By Lane Kimble

BUDGET BUILD-UP / POLITICS

State Sen. Duey Stroebel is crystal clear when it comes to a mileage-based user fee to supplement the gas tax.

“That is a place that I’m really not interested in going,” Stroebel succinctly told us this week during an interview in his Capitol office.

That said, Stroebel (R-Saukville) is open to plenty of other options to solve the long-term transportation funding problem: namely through changes to electric vehicle fees and utilizing General Purpose Revenue to fill in gaps to avoid reliance purely on user fees.

“I don’t think (electric vehicles) are paying a fair shake right now for their utilization of the roadways in Wisconsin,” Stroebel said.

Stroebel says he would also like to make the state Department of Transportation “more efficient” in the future.

Our interview with Stroebel is one of many WTBA is lining up with members of the Joint Finance Committee, helping guide members through the biennial budget process.

Gov. Tony Evers will deliver his Budget Address next week, Feb. 15, before a joint gathering of the legislature. Stroebel says Republicans will likely toss most of the governor’s proposals and “start out at base.”

“I’m happy to look at his good ones,” Stroebel said of Evers’ plans. “But we’re only going to look at the good ones.”