In an effort to push the case for more state aid before Wisconsin lawmakers, the city of Madison is enlisting the help of the same lobbying firm used by the Green Bay Packers, according to The Capital Times.
Madison received one of the smallest per-capita increases in state funding of any municipality in a 2023 deal between the state Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers, despite city officials’ assertion that they have made several efforts to build relationships with lawmakers. According to Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and others, that smaller increase in shared revenue has largely contributed to the city’s uncertain budget future.
Later this month, a contract will go before the Madison City Council, asking it to approve a $72,000 contract enlisting the Welch Group to lobby state lawmakers. In addition to the Green Bay Packers, the firm has represented the interests of the Wisconsin Nurses Association and the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association.
City leaders have developed a series of goals for lobbying lawmakers. Lobbyists in the Capitol usually monitor and testify on bills related to their client, and for Madison, that could mean weighing in on changes to Wisconsin’s election laws, housing project funding, and more.
