A request from the Doyle Administration to spend $35,000 more on a study of a proposed commuter rail line between Milwaukee and Kenosha was derailed by Milwaukee Democrats angry about Doyle's veto of the Milwaukee RTA.

A motion to kill the request passed on a 10-6 vote. Voting against the request were Dem Reps. Pocan, Colon, Grigsby and Sherman, Dem Sens. Taylor and Robson, and four GOP members.

Rep. Grigsby said the Doyle's veto of the half-cent sale tax increase for Milwaukee County eliminated any chance to improve Milwaukee's existing transit system, a requirement for federal approval of a regional transit authority.

"Any opportunity to make that a viable application was annihilated yesterday," she said, and urged fellow JFC members to vote against the request.

Rep. Colon joined her protest, saying that a proposal was carefully crafted by the committee during the budget process, and that agreement was not respected by the governor.

"I feel like all the efforts of this committee have been a complete waste," he said.

State budget director Dave Schmiedicke said the half-cent sales tax would actually have been a detriment to the federal application for an RTA because it was only targeted to Milwaukee County. He said the governor looks forward to more discussions on the issue, but he believes the approach needs to be more regional to garner federal approval.

Rep. Mason said he was also disappointed in the veto, but doesn't think not approving the request will do anything to move the process forward.

-- By Greg Bump