RHINELANDER, WI (WSAU-WXPR) -- As Governor-elect Evers picks his cabinet to begin 2019, State Senator Tom Tiffany of Hazelhurst says he has some points he hopes Evers considers before making a choice.
Tiffany notes the Senate has advised and consent on agency secretaries proposed by the Governor. He says he has a particular interest in the Transportation and DNR Secretary nominations. Tiffany says he approves of the reforms put in place by current DOT Secretary Dave Ross.
He tells WXPR the DOT spends about $3 billion annually on roads and he thinks the money is being spent better. "Programs like bridge strengthening. We can spend less money yet be able to keep our bridges in good shape. Replacement in kind, not sacrificing safety but spending fewer dollars to do more projects. Most importantly is the asset management program, a program they've implemented that deals with how we going about the pecking order, building or rebuilding our major highways."
Republican Tiffany says he hopes those programs remain and the people who know how to implement those programs stay on board.
Tiffany says more than $3 billion has been spent on three projects this past decade in Milwaukee. He said that was necessary and a large portion of the state's commerce passes along those highways. He says the Walker administration had a proposal in place to give sharp increases to towns and counties to improve the rural roads."I fully support that proposal. I'm hoping Gov.-elect Evers and his DOT Secretary embrace that, look at implementing that, getting the funding to these local road aids that are so important. That's one of the things I'll be fighting for in the coming session."
Tiffany is a member of the budget-writing Joint Committee on Finance along with Representative Mary Felzkowski of Irma and Democrat Katrina Shankland of Stevens Point.
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