Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers made headlines on Wednesday when he used his veto pen to increase education funding by $100 million in the state budget. Evers, a Democrat, crossed out two numbers and a hyphen in a Republican-backed provision that would have limited the amount of money school districts could raise from local property taxes.
By doing so, Evers effectively raised the revenue limit for schools from $179 per pupil to $281 per pupil, which he said would help address the “historic disinvestment” in public education by the previous administration. Evers also praised the budget for including a $685 million increase in general school aid, the largest in more than a decade.
“Our kids deserve better than what they’ve been handed in this budget, and that’s why I’m taking this action today,” Evers said at a news conference at an elementary school in Whitefish Bay.
The governor’s move drew criticism from Republican lawmakers, who accused him of abusing his veto authority and undermining the will of the Legislature. They also argued that Evers was creating an unfair tax burden for property owners, especially in rural areas where property values are lower.
“Governor Evers’ veto is a slap in the face to every Wisconsin taxpayer,” said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos in a statement. “He is once again choosing to grow government instead of returning their hard-earned money.”
Wisconsin is one of only six states that give governors the power to partially veto appropriation bills, allowing them to change or delete specific words or numbers without rejecting the entire bill. The state Supreme Court has upheld this power as constitutional, but some critics have called for its reform or repeal.
One of those critics is Ken Jennings, the former Jeopardy! champion and guest host, who tweeted on Wednesday that he wanted to run for governor of Wisconsin after seeing what Evers did with his veto pen. “This is insane,” Jennings wrote. “I want to be Wisconsin governor just so I can cross out random words in bills and make them say whatever I want.”
