As a member of the Joint Finance Committee, Senator Pat Testin (R-Stevens Point) has been traveling the state listening to what citizens want to see in the next budget. Without question, more funding for the wildly popular Agricultural Road Improvement Program(ARIP) has been getting consistent support.
In a conversation with Pam Jahnke and the Mid-West Farm Report Network, Testin said that the “JFC Road Show” took him and other members of the committee to Kewaunee, West Allis, Hayward and Wausau. K-12 education, technical colleges and the UW system, as well as access to health care in rural areas were all part of the conversations. ARIP was also at the top of the list of consumers priorities. “A lot of folks on that front came out to express their interest and support in seeing the continuation of that program,” according to Testin.
He recognizes there’s disparity between what the governor’s proposing to invest in ARIP versus what he believes is necessary. “He(Evers) wants to continue it at $50 million. Myself and many of my colleagues that sit on the committee want to see it continue at the existing level.” Testin says he’s still confident they’ll be able to conclude their work on the state budget by the end of June.
