Republicans announce funding bill to keep Brewers in Wisconsin

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Civic Media) – Republican lawmakers have released their plan to keep the Milwaukee Brewers in Wisconsin. 

Under the bill, the state would contribute $400 million throughout the life of the lease, Milwaukee County would contribute $200 million, and the Brewers would pay $100 million. They would then be locked into playing in American Family Field until 2050.

The bill’s Republican authors said that, under the plan, there would be no raised taxes to keep the Brewers in Wisconsin. 

The money would go toward repairs and renovations for the ballpark. The money would also go to winterizing the park to hold events during the winter months. American Family Field has been open since 2001, when it replaced the aging County Stadium.

Most of the state’s contribution to the ballpark would come from income taxes of players. Republicans estimate that the ballpark generates around $20 million annually in income taxes from both the Brewers and visiting teams. 

Democrats say that, while they are happy that the Brewers will stay in Milwaukee, too much of the burden is being placed on the city and county of Milwaukee. While the state sits on a surplus of around $4 billion, Milwaukee county is struggling financially. 

Officials for both the city and county of Milwaukee have publicly criticized increased local funding for the stadium.

Ahead of today's press conference, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson expressed concerns with the $200M funding contribution from city/county.

Johnson said lawmakers should reevaluate that – noting residents next year will hit with a higher sales tax (7.9% in MKE / 0.9% county) https://t.co/zS3jFbb7wN

— Emilee Fannon (@Emilee_Fannon) September 18, 2023

Earlier this year, Governor Tony Evers released his own plan to keep the Brewers in Wisconsin, using part of the state’s budget surplus. That proposal was dismissed by legislative Republicans. Evers released a statement saying that his plan would have saved taxpayers down the line, and looks forward to reviewing the new Republican plan.

While it’s good to hear Republicans are getting serious about keeping Major League Baseball in Wisconsin, it’s unfortunate Republicans rejected @GovEvers’ commonsense proposal that ultimately would’ve saved taxpayers millions of dollars in the long run.

— Gov. Tony Evers Press Office (@GovEversPress) September 18, 2023

The bill is being introduced today, and will need to be passed by the legislature and signed by Governor Tony Evers before the deal is set.