What Happened?
In late March, the State Building Commission deadlocked on Governor Tony Evers ’73, MS’76, PhD’86’s proposed capital budget. The eight-member commission, which oversees planning, improvement, and renovation of state facilities, includes the governor, six members appointed by the legislature (four majority party and two minority party), one citizen appointed by the governor, and three nonvoting members who are state Department of Administration employees.
Republican members, led by senate president Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk), argued that more discussion was needed to justify Evers’s proposed spending plan.
As a result, the commission’s 4–4 vote sent the capital budget to the Joint Finance Committee without a recommendation.
How Does This Impact UW–Madison?
The $4.3 billion capital budget includes crucial funding for several UW–Madison building priorities, including the demolition and replacement of the Humanities Building and necessary renovations to residence halls. Delaying or blocking these improvements could slow campus development, hinder the university’s ability to attract and retain top faculty and students, and limit the number of qualified graduates entering Wisconsin’s workforce in critical, high-demand fields.
Governor Evers responded to the deadlock by emphasizing the importance of supporting key infrastructure projects statewide, noting that they could generate an estimated $7.5 billion in economic activity and support more than 41,300 jobs across Wisconsin.
What’s Next?
The capital budget is now in the hands of the Joint Finance Committee. Its members are expected to review the budget, hold community listening sessions, and complete their revisions by the end of May. Both houses of the legislature must approve the capital budget by June 30, after which it will be incorporated into the full 2025–27 biennial budget and sent back to Governor Evers to be signed into law.
Photo by Althea Dotzour, UW–Madison.
