WI Supreme Court Nullifies Three of Evers’ Vetoes
Conservative majority tosses out decades of precedent on the governor's vetoes.
Wisconsin Supreme Court. Photo by Dave Reid.
Conservatives on the Wisconsin Supreme Court have struck down three of Gov. Tony Evers‘ partial vetoes from the 2019 state budget, bucking decades of court rulings that have upheld or expanded Wisconsin governors’ veto powers.
The court’s ruling was the second in as many days that sided with the Legislature in a power dispute with the governor, the first coming Thursday when justices largely upheld lame duck laws passed in 2018.
While justices sided with the institute in three of the four vetoes, the court’s 5-2 conservative majority could not settle on a single rationale for when a governor’s partial veto goes too far.
The practical effect is that three of Evers’ 2019 budget vetoes have been declared invalid. They include one that shifted funding for school buses to electric vehicle charging stations, another that changed the definition of “vapor products” and a third that redefined who qualified for funding under a local roads improvement fund.
Justices rejected a second, more limited lawsuit brought by Wisconsin Small Business Inc. which challenged two vetoes made by Republican Gov. Scott Walker in 2017. The court ruled that case was brought too late to be considered by justices.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Strikes Down Three Evers Vetoes was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Of course the conservative majority could not come up with a rationale. These decisions were blatantly partisan and have nothing to do with the rule of law.. The Wisconsin Supreme Court is doing everything in its power to suppress democracy. What about the Republican legislators. Knowing they can’t overturn vetoes BECAUSE they don’t have the necessary votes, Vos & Fitzgerald turned to the Supreme Court to legislate for them, in direct violation of the Wisconsin Constitution. How far does their disdain for the Constitution go? And to what end? Have they improved the lot of Wisconsin residents? Not when an additional 3,000 Wisconsinites lost their jobs in the last week. Not when their machinations have caused the rate of covid-19 to double in the last month. Not when it comes to ensuring Wisconsinites have access to health care or even broadband internet. It is fair to say Republicans in Wisconsin care not at all for the needs of their constituency. They are certainly quick to take Federal dollars to line their own pockets.
They only way we will be able to take back our state is to vote corrupt Republicans oligarchs like Vos and Fitzgerald out of office.