The WISCONSIN budget that the Republican Legislature approved included an additional $90 million in aid for local road repairs. We know that our roadways need the help and these dollars were going toward grants in the Local Road Improvement Program. Governor Tony Evers vetoed the funding by $15 million and erased the restrictions on the grants, allowing them to be allocated for "transit and transportation needs."

This week the Department of Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson announced that local governments can soon apply for these new transportation grants and opened up the possibility that these dollars can be used for the streetcar in Milwaukee.

It’s simply ludicrous that the governor would turn his back on Wisconsin drivers everywhere and allow these local road grants to go to transit, bike paths and other projects. As someone who has advocated for new revenues to fix our roads, this is upsetting. We need these dollars to fix roads and bridges.

This action will hurt our efforts to be able to gather the support from citizens to fix our roads and bridges after they see their hard-earned money being squandered.

We’re seriously considering a veto override.