Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D) utilized his line-item veto power to enhance school funding in the state for the next four centuries, a move that has left Republicans furious due to the clever use of executive power.
In his veto, the governor removed certain words, numbers, and a hyphen from the state’s new budget. This effectively extends the expansion in school funding for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years to an annual increase every year until 2425.
Originally, the budget allowed school districts to raise an additional $325 per student annually until the next school year. However, with the deletion of certain wording, this expansion is now set to last for 400 years, providing school districts with predictable long-term increases.
Governor Evers made a strong statement about the Republicans in the Legislature, accusing them of failing to address critical investments in key areas that are essential to the state’s success. He called their decision an abdication of duty.
It is important to note that this change could be reversed by a future legislature or governor. However, overriding the vetoes would require a two-thirds majority in the Assembly, making it unlikely.
Governor Evers, a former public school educator, made a total of 51 line-item vetoes, including changes to Republican-approved tax cuts for wealthy residents. These cuts were reduced from $3.5 billion to $175 million. The Republicans had intended to consolidate the state’s income brackets, which would have resulted in significant cuts for top earners.
The Republican-controlled legislature expressed anger over the governor’s actions. Robin Vos, the Republican speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, warned of potential massive property tax increases for homeowners in the coming years.
Governor Evers responded to the passage of his veto by posting a photo of himself sipping from a mug on Twitter.
It is worth noting that Wisconsin governors from both parties have had line-item veto power, allowing them to reshape state budgets in collaboration with lawmakers. In 2000, voters outlawed the “Vanna White” veto, which involved the deletion of specific letters to create new meanings.
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