Governor Evers Vetoes Education Reform Bills to Expand Options, Empower Parents

Milwaukee, Wisc. April 15, 2022 — On Friday, April 15, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers vetoed a series of education reform bills passed by the state legislature. These bills were created to protect the rights of parents and guardians to direct the education of their children, expand high-performing charter schools, and eliminate the income limits on Wisconsin’s choice programs to allow access for more families.

“We are disappointed by Evers’ decision to veto, which denies many Wisconsin parents the ability to choose the best school option to meet the needs of their child,” says American Federation for Children – Wisconsin State Director Justin Moralez. “Evers is more concerned with siding with the public school establishment than empowering parents and expanding options for the students we need to educate.”

Recent polls show wide, broadening bipartisan support for school choice.

Data from the Marquette University Law Poll showed 59% support the use of publicly funded vouchers to attend private or religious schools. Another poll conducted by Remington Research Group of eligible Milwaukee voters found that 64% were either more or equally likely to vote for a candidate that supports school choice.

Nationally, a poll from RealClear Opinion Research saw 71% of registered voters support the concept of school choice, an 8% increase since April 2020.

In February, more than 500 Wisconsin families sent over 1,500 emails to their lawmakers in support of the Empowering Parents K-12 Education Reform bill package.

“Wisconsin parents are saying loud and clear that they want to be empowered to choose the best educational options for their family, and Evers isn’t listening to them,” says Moralez.

In 2018, Evers won his election by less than 30,000 votes. By siding with the public school establishment and not listening to the thousands of hard-working parents across the state looking for better opportunities for their children, even those who voted for him may decide to reconsider their options in the fall.

Will Governor Evers’ veto of these bills impact you? We want to hear your story. Email us at Wicomms@federationforchildren.org.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.