The state Joint Committee on Finance approved state use of $822 million of federal funding for a regional rail line Tuesday.
The high-speed rail line will use about $810 million of the funding to connect Madison to an existing line that runs between Milwaukee and Chicago.
All 12 Democrats on the JFC approved the proposal, and all four Republicans on the committee voted against it.
Gov. Jim Doyle said he thinks the rail line will be beneficial to the state's economy.
""This project will create thousands of jobs in Wisconsin and invest in our long-term economic growth, connecting the major centers of commerce in Wisconsin and the Midwest,"" he said in a statement.
John Anderson, spokesperson for JFC co-chair Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona, said Miller was dissatisfied with the lack of bipartisan support for the funding. He also said former Republican governors began the initial process of applying for federal funding for the rail line.
""Now that the application was successful, it has now become some sort of partisan issue, but it wasn't before,"" Anderson said. ""We are disappointed, but we are going to move ahead and invest this money in Wisconsin, because it's going to be good for the economy and good for jobs.""
Republicans were hesitant to support the measure because they said the rail line would need extra funding from taxpayers to operate and maintain the service.
Wisconsin Department of Transportation spokesperson Chris Klein said the state's existing transportation funds will pay for operation and maintenance.
""We [already] pay to operate the Hiawatha Line between Milwaukee and Chicago … and this is extending that service to Madison,"" Klein said.
The Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group on campus has shown support for the rail line. Alex Morganroth, coordinator of WISPIRG's 21st Century Transportation campaign, said he is thrilled Wisconsin is receiving federal funding for regional transit.
""I was pretty happy, because that was the last step to secure [federal funds], and now that we have, we can really go forward,"" he said.
