The proposal showcases the new governor’s priorities, including some major environmental goals. Here are some main takeaways: where the money’s going and what could happen if the full proposal passes. (Note that figures are calculated for the biennium, the two-year period from 2019-2021.)
7. 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050.
One of the most ambitious aspects of the proposal involves requiring all electricity produced in Wisconsin to be 100% carbon-free by 2050. This would put us on a path to 100% clean energy. Currently, coal provides 55% of all electricity produced in Wisconsin, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA also reports that only 9.3% of Wisconsin electricity comes from renewable energy sources, like hydroelectric, wind, biomass, and solar. Converting entirely to carbon-free sources by 2050 will take some serious doing. On, Wisconsin!
6. Big steps towards clean, accessible transportation.
An additional $22 million for public transit systems, a new $10 million investment in transit capital, and a $6 million boost to transportation aids for seniors and people living with disabilities – all in all, that’s quite a renewal, after nearly a decade of stagnated funding for public transit and specialized transportation. However, pedestrian and biking infrastructure would not see any funding increase, but the state highway rehabilitation program would receive $1.9 billion. Transit, walking, and biking infrastructure should be the priority, rather than costly highway expansions that negatively impact communities and climate.
5. $4 million for renewable energy research.
The proposal recommends a new Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy, which would promote innovative, sustainable, and diverse renewable energy, and aim to expand the clean energy economy by creating family-supporting jobs. The office would also administer a new $4 million annual research grant for renewable and clean energy.
4. Lead-free pipes and homes.
$40 million would be added to the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program to assist municipalities with up to 50% of the cost of replacing lead service lines. An estimated 170,000 municipal lines need replacing, 70,000 of which are in the Milwaukee area. Wisconsin has worse rates than other states for lead poisoning, which is particularly dangerous for children, whose development is severely affected by lead poisoning. The budget also provides funds for removing lead paint, the cause for most lead poisoning in children, from homes and apartments.
3. Better funding for public lands.
The proposal increases funding for state parks by $1.4 million – an improvement, but it doesn’t make up for the $4.6 million Governor Walker cut from past budgets. The proposal would also reauthorize the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, allowing the DNR and other organizations to continue protecting wildlife habitats and natural areas statewide, but only for two years. We need a more permanent commitment: we’re asking for a 10-year reauthorization.
2. $25 million for clean lakes.
The funds would be dedicated to cleaning up years of built-up contamination in five risk areas of the Great Lakes Basin. Toxic sediment containing DDT, PCBs, and heavy metals would be removed. (PCBs, chemicals that were used in electrical equipment and other products until being banned in 1979, have been linked to birth defects and other health risks.) Around 40 million people get their drinking water from the Great Lakes, which are particularly vulnerable to pollution. Compared to the lakes’ huge volume, their outflow is quite small, around 1% each year. Any contaminants that enter the water are unlikely to be filtered out, and instead become more concentrated with time.
1. But…what if this budget doesn’t pass?
The Republican-majority Joint Finance Committee can edit the budget or try to draft their own. Getting this budget passed will be a negotiation process, and we need you. You have to speak up and tell your representatives you want these environmental initiatives to pass!
Thank Governor Evers for an environmentally-conscious budget.
Attend a Joint Finance Committee Hearing: Click the image below to RSVP for the hearing closest to you!
Call, email, and write to your legislators. Email the Committee at budgetcomments@legis.wisconsin.gov. You can download sample testimony here.
By Adrianna Jereb, John Muir Chapter volunteer.
Thumbnail photo: Governor Tony Evers. Photo from the State of Wisconsin.