MADISON – State Rep. David Bowen (D-Milwaukee) released the following statement on Governor Evers’ signing of Assembly Bill 56, the State Biennial Budget, after invoking his Democratic power of partial veto:
“While the version of the Budget signed by Governor Evers today was insufficient in many ways, and not nearly as expansive as the original People’s Budget, I am glad that the Governor has used his unique partial veto power to make the best of an imperfect situation and shape a budget that will help many people in our State and in my district. The Republican version of the Budget presented to us on the Floor of the Assembly last week was unacceptable and watered down, hence my ‘no’ vote, but the Governor has, through the Democratic partial veto, given Wisconsinites a better Budget for the next two years, including for the residents and students in Milwaukee and Shorewood of our district.”
In Wisconsin, the Governor has an extremely powerful partial veto power – unique among states – by which the Governor can strike sentences, phrases, or even single words, numbers, or punctuation from an appropriations bill in order to shape the interpretation of that bill. With AB 56, Governor Evers has used that power to reverse some of the more problematic provisions added to the bill by Republicans, while also increasing funding for a number of areas, including Wisconsin’s public schools.
“After years of Republican control & austerity, I am grateful to have Democratic Governor Evers in the East Wing of the Capitol to help balance out our currently Republican-controlled Legislature. By asserting his partial veto power on behalf of the people of Wisconsin, Governor Evers has shown Republicans that they are no longer able to make these important decisions unilaterally, and that it is time that we work together to put people over politics.”
