The Packers "won an overwhelming victory" in the WI
State Legislature Friday when the State Assembly passed the
Lambeau Field renovation bill by a 73-22 margin, according
to Scott Hildebrand of the GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, who
wrote that the victory "should provide momentum" for the
stadium bill as it moves to the WI State Senate next week.
The Assembly voted to allow a 0.5% Brown County (WI) sales
tax to pay off construction bonds and fund maintenance and
administrative expenses for the $295M stadium renovation.
The first of the two referendum questions "likely" to be on
the ballot for county voters in September would look to
create the sales tax to renovate Lambeau Field, while the
second question would seek to allocate excess money from the
sales tax to the county for property-tax relief (GREEN BAY
PRESS-GAZETTE, 3/25). In Milwaukee, Don Walker wrote that
the bill "faces tough going" as State Senate Majority Leader
Chuck Chvala and State Senator Russ Decker "unveiled an
alternative" financing plan that they said "could reduce the
cost" to county taxpayers (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL,
3/26). But WI Gov. Tommy Thompson has "urged" the Senate to
pass the Assembly bill without amendment: "It is the only
one that really meets the needs of the Packers. It is the
only one that will satisfy all the responsibilities
necessary at the local level" (JOURNAL SENTINEL, 3/25).
