On Monday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court announced that they will be reviewing a challenge to the partial veto made by Democratic Governor Tony Evers. The challenge is in regards to the school funding increase that was locked in for an unprecedented 400 years.
In April, the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce Litigation Center filed a lawsuit claiming that the governor had gone beyond his authority. The center urged the Supreme Court to invalidate the veto before the case is processed in lower courts.
On Monday afternoon, the case was taken by the court as per the issued order. The briefing schedule was set by the justices, but no further details were given.
In July 2023, Governor Evers exercised a partial veto in the state budget that has raised concerns. The veto increased the revenue that public schools can raise per student by $325 each year until 2425. Initially, the $325 increase was applicable for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years. However, Evers removed the “20” and the hyphen, effectively extending the end date to 2425, which is over four centuries from now. This decision has sparked controversy and raised questions about the implications of such a change.
For years, Wisconsin governors, regardless of party affiliation, have utilized their broad partial veto authority to alter the state budget. This maneuvering creates a strategic back-and-forth between the governor and the Legislature, with lawmakers attempting to draft bills that are less susceptible to such creative vetoes. However, the recent lawsuit claims that Governor Evers went beyond his veto authority and violated the state constitution.
The State Supreme Court is presently under the control of liberal justices, which ultimately improves the likelihood of Evers succeeding.
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