GOP lawmakers advance plan to prevent Tony Evers from using veto to increase state spending

MADISON - Wisconsin Republicans moved forward with a plan Tuesday to prevent Democratic Gov. Tony Evers from using his veto pen to increase spending in the next state budget. 

The proposed constitutional amendment comes after Evers used his veto authority this year to steer an additional $65 million to Wisconsin schools in the current state budget — a move made after Republicans who wrote the state budget eliminated nearly every major proposal Evers wanted in the spending plan.  

Lawmakers on a Senate panel held a public hearing on the measure Tuesday, which drew only two people to testify — conservatives in favor of the bill, including author Sen. David Craig of Big Bend. 

"The executive branch's authority is a bridge too far that needs to be curtailed," Craig said Tuesday.

Neither Evers nor his aides testified on the proposal Tuesday but a spokeswoman said Republican lawmakers should focus on other issues.

"It’s unfortunate that Republicans are upset the governor used his broad veto authority to provide more money to our schools," spokeswoman Britt Cudaback said in a statement. "Instead of devoting all their time and energy toward trying to override the will of the people and seeking political retribution for an election that happened almost a year ago, Republicans should get to work on the pressing issues facing our state."

Wisconsin governors have used vetoes to increase state spending above levels set by lawmakers 31 times since 1991 and increased bonding levels seven times during that time. Republican Gov. Scott Walker used the measure to veto a provision that required him to reduce state borrowing for building projects by $250 million.

But it wasn't until Evers used his authority to increase spending for schools using a partial veto in the current state budget that prompted a new effort to change the governor's veto authority. 

Craig has said his reasons for bringing the proposal forward were not tied to politics.

"The structure of the way that the governor did this veto certainly triggered something in me that hasn't been triggered in the past, but I fully expect we'll have a Republican governor one day, and am I hamstringing that Republican governor? Absolutely I am," Craig said in July. 

Wisconsin gives its governors some of the most sweeping executive powers in the country: Governors can strike out words and numbers to allow them to structure parts of the state's budgets in ways lawmakers never intended.

Former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson was able to use the "Vanna White veto" — named after "Wheel of Fortune" — to remove letters from words to create new words. He and former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle were also able to use the "Frankenstein veto" to string together parts of two or more sentences to create a new sentence. 

Voters approved eliminating those powers from the governor's veto pen, which shows popular support for limiting the governor's broad authority and ensuring the Legislature's authority to spend money is preserved, Craig argued.

Democratic lawmakers on the Senate committee countered Tuesday, saying the Legislature already has the ability to override a governor's vetoes if two-thirds of the body agrees.    

Sen. Fred Risser of Madison also said he worries the proposed amendment would eliminate the governor's ability to reverse "vindictive" spending cuts from the Legislature.

"A vindictive Legislature could come up with some selective cuts," Risser said.

Sen. Lena Taylor of Milwaukee said she hadn't heard from anyone complaining about the additional money for schools. Craig said he received feedback from constituents seeking limits to Evers' veto authority after the state budget was finalized.

Republican lawmakers on the budget-writing committee this year reduced Evers' proposed $1.4 billion in new funding for K-12 schools to $500 million. Evers used his partial veto authority to increase K-12 funding by $65 million.

In his veto message, Evers said he strongly considered vetoing the entire state budget because he did not think Republicans allocated enough money for schools. 

Constitutional amendments in Wisconsin must be passed by the Legislature in two consecutive legislative sessions and then by voters in a statewide referendum. 

Contact Molly Beck at molly.beck@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MollyBeck.