Wisconsin Republicans are calling for an amendment to the state constitution aimed at narrowing the governor’s partial veto powers. The push comes amid a legal battle over Gov. Tony Evers’ use of a partial veto to extended a school funding increase for 400 years.
On Monday, State Rep. Scott Allen, R-Waukesha; State Sen. Julian Bradley, R-New Berlin; and State Sen. Cory Tomczyk, R-Mosinee, sent an email seeking cosponsors for a joint resolution pursuing an amendment that would only allow Evers and future governors to veto entire sections of a spending bill “capable of separate enactment as a complete, entire, and workable law.”
Because the lawmakers are seeking a constitutional amendment, their joint resolution must be passed during two successive legislative sessions and then be approved by voters in a statewide referendum.
The partial veto powers enjoyed by Wisconsin governors stand out from all others across the nation. Currently, the only restrictions in Wisconsin are that governors cannot create new words in spending bills by vetoing individual letters and they cannot create new sentences by vetoing parts of others.
Both Republican and Democratic governors have extensively used Wisconsin’s partial veto powers, which date back to 1930.
The most recent example came from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in July 2023. By crossing out a 20 and a dash before signing the state budget, Evers authorized school districts to receive a $325 per-pupil increase for more than 400 years. The Republican-controlled Legislature intended the increase to expire in two years.
A lawsuit challenging Evers’ veto is currently being considered by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Both liberal and conservative justices voiced skepticism about how Evers changed the school funding provision with some calling it “extreme” and “outrageous.”