GOP Targets Governor's Veto Power Because Evers Dared To Use It!

[TexasTowelie]

As part of passage of the Wisconsin State Biennial Budget, Governor Tony Evers (Democrat) used his veto pen a number of times to change items in the Republican drafted budget to better fit his vision for the state.

Wisconsin’s governors have the most powerful budget veto pens of any of the governor in the US. Using the veto, a governor can cross out words or sentences to change the meaning of budget items.

In this case Governor Evers crossed out a few things that actually allowed for an increase in spending in some areas. And the whole GOP leadership in the state legislature came unglued…despite the fact that governors of both parties have been doing the same thing for decades.

Republican lawmakers want a longtime — if controversial — power of Wisconsin governors to be taken away from Tony Evers, whose predecessors in both parties for decades have used their veto pen to increase spending in state budgets over what lawmakers approved.

Governors used vetoes to increase state spending above levels set by lawmakers 31 times since 1991 and increased bonding levels seven times during that time, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau.

Republicans are proposing to amend the Wisconsin Constitution to bar Evers and future governors from issuing such vetoes after Evers steered $65 million more in funding to schools in the state budget than what lawmakers approved.

Read more: http://bloggingblue.com/2019/07/gop-targets-governors-veto-power-because-evers-dared-to-use-it/