The Joint Finance Committee vote, coming roughly two weeks after Crowley won the governor's race, marks the first formal spending authorization for the transition operation. The committee is now co-chaired by Sen. LaTonya Johnson and Rep. Tip McGuire, both Democrats, who were appointed to lead the panel by Democratic legislative leaders.

A spokesperson for Crowley said the transition team is being assembled and that the incoming administration "looks forward to working with legislative leadership to advance shared priorities that deliver results."

Crowley also announced this week that a former secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families will serve as his chief of staff. The transition did not immediately release the former secretary's name.

The approval comes as Democrats prepare to take unified control of state government following this month's midterm elections, a shift that has energized the party's base and raised expectations for action on health care, education and climate policy. Transition funds are a routine but essential step for any incoming administration, covering the salaries of temporary staff, office leases and travel as the governor-elect builds out an executive team and prepares a budget proposal.

Republicans, who have controlled the budget committee for more than a decade, did not publicly object to the request. The committee's new Democratic co-chairs will oversee the panel as it begins work on the next two-year state budget, which Crowley will propose early next year.

For Madison-area residents, the transition spending is a first concrete sign of how the new administration will organize itself before taking office in January. The chief of staff appointment, in particular, will shape how the governor's office coordinates with the Legislature and state agencies.

Crowley's team has not said when the full transition staff will be announced or where the transition office will be located.