Wisconsin Governor's Editing Trick Boosts Public Education Spending...for the Next 400 Years

Leah Barkoukis | July 07, 2023 11:30 AM

Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers is being called out for making a “sneaky” edit to the state’s biennial budget over funding for public education.

In accordance with state law, which gives the governor the right to strike out words and numbers from a bill sent to his desk, Evers removed seven words and two numbers from a sentence. The partial veto gave school districts a major boost to public education funding…for the next 400 years.

Governor Evers raised the amount that school districts could generate through property taxes by an additional $325 per student each year. In the original budget, the increase was allowed through the 2024-25 school year.
But with the slash of a hyphen and the snip of a “20,” Mr. Evers changed 2024-25 to the year 2425. (NYT)

"In future biennia and effectively in perpetuity, school districts will have continued, additive per pupil revenue adjustments of $325 every year, sustaining school district spending for the foreseeable future," Evers' office said in a statement.

Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) says his use of the line-item veto to increase funding for public schools for the next 400 years will “provide school districts with predictable long-term increases for the foreseeable future.” pic.twitter.com/ZH3A9GomuB
— The Recount (@therecount) July 5, 2023

State Republicans blasted the move.

“Legislative Republicans worked tirelessly over the last few months to block Governor Evers’s liberal tax and spending agenda,” said Robin Vos, the Republican speaker of the State Assembly. “Unfortunately, because of his powerful veto authority, he reinstated some of it today.”

Legislative Republicans have worked tirelessly to block Governor Evers’ liberal agenda and had to start from scratch building a budget made for Wisconsin. Unfortunately, it’s business as usual for the governor.
Read the rest of my statement below. pic.twitter.com/Hnd5L3Cx78
— Speaker Robin Vos (@SpeakerVos) July 5, 2023

The move may be challenged in court, though Rick Champagne, director of the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, told the Times the "veto does adhere to the constitutional requirements for a partial veto.”