Libertarian Party of Wisconsin Desires An End To Line Item Vetoes

As we begin a new session in the Wisconsin Legislature, the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin (LPWI) would like to see both sides set aside partisanship and end Wisconsin’s line item veto power for the governor once and for all by passing, again, the Constitutional Amendment passed by the previous legislature.

Any power that sidesteps proper checks and balances is a power that should not be wielded by any segment of government, let alone one person that happens to reside in the Governor’s Mansion. Created in 1927 to help streamline the budgeting process, the line item veto has been abused multiple times since Governor Lucey slashed 80% of transportation funding in 1973 by using that power to hack off a number in the budget.

What is the point of having a legislatively created budget when one person can create 400 years of funding with a couple swipes of a pen? It takes the power out of the hands of the people and places it in the hands of one person. The Legislature must continue the process to finally amend the State Constitution and end this power.

For more on the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin, please visit www.lpwi.org.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.