MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers released a statement recently celebrating the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District’s (the District) vote today to approve a new lease agreement for American Family Field, ensuring the Milwaukee Brewers and Major League Baseball (MLB) remain in Wisconsin through 2050. The District’s historic vote today comes just over a year after Gov. Evers, on Dec. 5, 2023, signed 2023 Wisconsin Act 40 and 41 to keep the Brewers and MLB in Wisconsin through 2050. Acts 40 and 41 were passed with broad, bipartisan support after months of collaboration and negotiations. A summary of the bipartisan compromise to ensure the Brewers and MLB remain in Wisconsin through 2050 is available online. 

“This is a home run, and it’s a great day to be a Wisconsinite and a Brewers fan. I am incredibly proud of the good, bipartisan work that has gone into getting to today to ensure future generations of Wisconsinites can grow up rooting for our home team,” said Gov. Evers. “The Brewers have long been a critical part of our history and our heritage in Wisconsin with billions of dollars in annual economic impact and hundreds of local, family-supporting jobs. This is our crew!” 

Ensuring professional baseball remains in Milwaukee and the ballpark is successful is crucial to supporting working families, local and state economies, and retaining jobs. Since opening its doors in 2001, the ballpark has generated $2.5 billion in total economic output for the state. In 2022 alone, the ballpark supported 3,000 jobs. The Brewers and American Family Field also supports more than 1,100 union jobs, including Brewers employees and union employees, through vendors and related services. 

To avoid the threat of the Brewers and MLB leaving Milwaukee as soon as the conclusion of the 2030 season when the current lease with American Family Field expires, Gov. Evers in February 2023 first announced an initial proposal as part of his 2023-25 biennial budget proposal toward ensuring the Brewers remain in Milwaukee. Without an investment from the state, the District would not have had the resources to meet the contractual and legal obligations necessary to maintain and update American Family Field, posing the risk of Wisconsin losing the Brewers and its only MLB team.