News

Final Wisconsin state budget package renews ag road program

The Wisconsin biennial budget package could be sent to the Governor Wednesday, and if signed, would renew a popular rural road improvement program.

Farmer and 49^th Assembly District representative Travis Tranel tells Brownfield the Agricultural Road Improvement Program, or ARIP will continue through 2027 at the same 150-million dollar funding level as the last biennium. “That’s a 300-million dollar investment into rural Wisconsin infrastructure and I can’t overestimate how impactful and meaningful that’s gonna be.”

Chad Zuleger with the Dairy Business Association tells Brownfield renewing the ARIP program was a high priority for Wisconsin’s agricultural groups. “There’s really great bipartisan work being done there to recognize the importance of agriculture infrastructure and how important that is dairy producers and processors, and the broader ag community.”

Rebekah Sweeney from the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association tells Brownfield continuing the ARIP program was a huge deal for the dairy industry. “That program is well over-subscribed and there’s tremendous need to fix our rural roads, not only for businesses but also for the safety of the people who live in that area of our state.”

Democratic Governor Tony Evers proposed renewing the program with 50 million dollars, but the Republican-controlled Legislative Joint Finance Committee wanted to continue the successful program at the previous 150-million-dollar level. 

The program was new in the last budget.  Applications for the dollars far exceeded the available funding. 

Tranel says most ARIP improvements funded in the last budget are not completed yet.