Governor Tony Evers (D-WI) is on a mission to blow through the Wisconsin budget surplus on discretionary items before the voters have an opportunity to get much say in the matter. Included in his latest executive budget is the earmarking of $290 million for the Milwaukee Brewers. Getting this money has encouraged the team to make repairs to the stadium and to remain in the city for an extra 13 years, through the 2043 season.
Evers issued a statement to let the people of WI know why he made this decision. “As governor, and also someone who happens to be a lifelong Brewers fan, I’m so excited about the historic opportunity we have today to keep Major League Baseball here in Milwaukee for another twenty years and to usher in a new generation of Brewers fans in Wisconsin who can grow up rooting for the home team just like I did.”
The budget still has a long way to go, with Republicans on the Legislature’s finance committee who can tear up his budget and edit it as they see fit before it goes to the Senate and Assembly for approval. Even then, Evers still gets it back for a final signature, and he can rewrite it yet again through his veto powers.
With a $7 billion surplus, the state of Wisconsin isn’t hurting for the money, and the Brewers are an attraction people regularly travel across the state for. Much like their fabled Green Bay Packers, their fans come out in droves, ready to spend heavily on beer and brats. Despite their teams largely being considered “small market,” Wisconsin invests heavily in them, much to the delight of their citizens.
