State Rep. Josh Zepnick (D-Milwaukee) has written an open letter to Milwaukee Bucks owners Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens, and Marc Marotta, chairman of the BMO Harris Bradley Center board of directors, requesting they meet with state legislators regarding the public options for financing a new arena in downtown Milwaukee.
Zepnick asked that the three meet with state legislators on both sides who represent the Milwaukee County area, since almost every public financing option that has been proposed would require Legislature approval, and suggested the meeting be open to the press and maybe the public.
“The purpose of the meeting would be to debrief lawmakers on the various discussions and proposals being floated over the construction of a new arena and the use of public financing as part of the package,” Zepnick said in his letter. “When the Milwaukee area went through this exercise during the building of Miller Park, it became a rushed and politically toxic process which often marginalized public input.”
He urged Lasry, Edens and Marotta to meet with legislators within the next 60 days, before the November gubernatorial election.
