Strip transportation, Bucks arena from budget

It appears work on a new Wisconsin state budget has slowed to a crawl. Members of the Joint Finance Committee charged with creating the new budget haven’t met in two weeks. Instead, Republican members of the committee have been meeting behind closed doors to try to unify their party on the still contentious issues. The sticking points continue to be how to pay for transportation in the state, and a proposal to publicly finance a new Milwaukee Bucks arena. It is rarely good that these meetings be held behind closed doors. That gives lawmakers little time to digest the proposal that is served to them, and often contains deals benefiting special interests. The transportation budget and a deal for the Bucks are both big ticket items. The Bucks arena could cost taxpayers $250 million, and the transportation budget could include $500 worth of borrowing to pay for new roads. Both issues deserve a fair and timely hearing. If those are the only things preventing lawmakers from passing a new state budget, then they should be removed from the budget and voted on separately. That would allow the new budget to be in place by the July 1 deadline, and would allow for more thorough discussion of roads and the arena. Lawmakers should vote on both issues separately, rather than try to create a last-minute deal then demand a vote with the clock ticking.