Senate Republicans in Wisconsin reverse course and break out credit card for roads

Two years ago, Republicans in the state Senate tried to prevent the state from issuing more bonds to build roads, declaring they were dead set against relying on borrowing for highways.  That attitude is in the past. Now, they're eager to break out the state's credit card to pay for highways as they try to end a budget stalemate."We're not going to kick the can down the road," Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) said in November 2015 when she and other Senate Republicans unsuccessfully tried to block issuing $350 million in bonds for I-39/90 and four other projects.But on Tuesday, Darling — the co-chairwoman of the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee — joined her Senate colleagues in embracing a plan that would borrow $712 million over the next two years for roads. Nearly half of that amount would be paid back from the account that funds schools and health care programs instead of the transportation fund. Borrowing is the only way to pay to rebuild I-94 in southeastern Wisconsin, she said.