Taxpayers would pick up half the cost of a $500 million arena for the Milwaukee Bucks under a financial deal that would rely on current and former team owners for the rest, Gov. Scott Walker said Thursday.
Walker, a likely presidential candidate, has argued for months that it will cost the state more in lost income-tax revenue if the NBA team leaves Milwaukee than it will to pay for a new downtown arena.
Walker, team officials, state lawmakers, Milwaukee's Democratic mayor and the Milwaukee County executive have been negotiating behind closed doors for weeks.
The plan Walker spelled out includes $250 million already committed by the Bucks' current and former owners.