Future of transportation funding on many ballots this fall

Nearly half of Wisconsin’s counties will ask voters this fall if they want to safeguard the state transportation fund.

A coalition of road builders and other groups says 35 county boards have voted to put the issue on the ballot. The referendum asks if the state constitution should be amended to keep lawmakers from dipping into the transportation fund for other purposes.

Craig Thompson of the Transportation Development Association says many industries support maintaining Wisconsin’s roads, from farms, to grocery stores and restaurants.

But amending the state constitution takes time. Two consecutive sessions of the legislature have to approve such a measure before voters can act on it.

Gov. Jim Doyle has used transportation funds to fill budget shortfalls several times. He says it's helped prevent cuts to schools and local governments.

Tags: news, wisconsin, budget, transportation, referendum