Senate passes funding bill for Milwaukee Bucks arena in 21-10 vote; Assembly up next

MADISON -- The Wisconsin Senate on Wednesday, July 15th passed Senate Bill 209 -- a funding plan for a new Milwaukee Bucks arena in downtown Milwaukee. The vote was 21-10 to approve $250 million in public funding for the arena. The bipartisan agreement came with some last-minute changes -- changes not everyone is happy with.

The Assembly will take up the arena funding proposal next -- but it is unclear exactly when at this point.

Assembly leaders issued a joint statement to FOX6 News:

The vote came after weeks of tough negotiations.

"This deal has taken a little work -- but the Bucks are big bucks for the state of Wisconsin," Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) said Wednesday in Madison.

Both Senate Democrats and Republicans were pleased a deal was reached.

"This will lift our spirits -- lift our optimism," Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) said.

Earlier Wednesday, Senators reviewed changes to the arena funding bill. Those changes left Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett disappointed, and Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele downright livid.

The most notable change to the $250 million public funding package is Milwaukee County's contribution -- $80 million after interest. It was to come from the state's collection of unpaid debt, but that has come out of the proposal at the request of Senator Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee).

"I don`t like the optics of saying we`re gonna build an arena on the backs of people who are struggling trying to deal with a foreclosure or court fees so if Abele wants to do that, he can do that on his own," Senator Larson said.

Abele wasn't happy to learn the debt collection issue was taken out of the bill. He said doing that would create a $4 million annual gap from money the state would withhold for arena payments.

"Because that`s now been eliminated by Senator Larson, we`ll have a $4 million per year hole in the county budget and I haven`t heard boo about how that`s supposed to get filled. This, in my opinion, is an utterly unnecessary and massively irresponsible to taxpayers way to make a point," Abele said.

Abele says that money would not come from the poor. It would come from those who haven't paid taxes.

"We`re going to protect them at the cost of people who do pay their taxes and the result is a $4 million a year hole in Milwaukee County," Abele said.

Another controversial aspect of the arena funding proposal is the $93 million in bonding through the Wisconsin Center District. Because those tax dollars are tied up for another 13 years, the total cost of those bonds to taxpayers is more than $200 million.

"I have said all along, from a fiscal standpoint, if we want to make sure this is a success, we have to make sure there`s an adequate funding base for the Wisconsin Center District," Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said.

Barrett says a ticket surcharge ($2 per ticket) is now part of the bill. 75% of that money would replace the Wisconsin Center District bonding -- with the rest going to the state's general fund.

Barrett says he wants all of the ticket surcharge fees to reduce the Wisconsin Center District bonding.

The Bucks arena funding plan now heads to the Wisconsin Assembly.

The Milwaukee Bucks have issued this statement to FOX6 News on the passage of the Bucks arena funding plan:

Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) issued this statement:

Senator Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) issued this statement:

Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) issued this statement:

Senator Nikiya Harris Dodd (D-Milwaukee) issued this statement:

Senator Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa) issued this statement:

Senator Paul Farrow (R-Pewaukee) issued this statement:

Senator Duey Stroebel (R-Saukville) issued this statement:

Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) President Tim Sheehy issued this statement:

Marquette University President Michael Lovell issued this statement:

The Wisconsin Democratic Party issued this statement: