The Republican-controlled Assembly and Senate plan to square off with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers as the Joint Finance Committee wraps up its recommendations for the proposed 2019-21 biennial budget.
The question of when the budget will be signed is anyone’s guess.
The budget needs to pass both the Assembly and Senate before it gets to Evers, who is armed with one of the most powerful gubernatorial veto pens in the nation. Wisconsin law allows the governor to veto not just entire items but also individual words in the text of bills.
On vetoing all or parts of the budget, Evers said it is too early to say what he plans to do.
“I have the option to veto the entire budget or just parts of it or none of it — unlikely, but we’ll see,” Evers said. “It’s still too early, but we are prepared for any possibility. We’re not waiting until the end to figure this out.”