Early Friday morning, the Joint Committee on Finance passed a provision in Gov. Jim Doyle's budget to create a Dane County Regional Transit board, which will oversee the creation of commuter rail lines.
The Dane County RTA board would administer a .05 percent sales tax increase to pay for rail and other transit projects.
The committee also approved RTAs for Milwaukee County and for a rail line between Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee.
The KRM rail project will be funded with $16 car rental fees. The Milwaukee County RTA will have the authority to levy a 1 percent sales tax increase to fund transit, parks and emergency medical services.
The committee rejected a similar RTA for the Fox Valley, but state representatives from the area said they would continue to push for a transit authority for the area.
Assembly Majority Leader Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, said in a statement a private meeting between Democrats, which postponed the JFC meeting 12 hours, resulted in a complex package being passed without any public input.
Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrette both praised the passage of the RTAs, citing the need for better public transportation in their cities.
