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Evers signs Wisconsin budget with 78 partial vetoes

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers made 78 partial vetoes to the state budget passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature before signing it Wednesday, ignoring pleas from some liberals who wanted the new Democratic governor to reject the entire two-year spending plan.

In a message to lawmakers, Evers said he considered taking the unprecedented step but decided against it because it “would have been more of the same divisiveness and petty, political theatrics that the people of Wisconsin have had to put up with for far too long.”

Instead, Evers took a more moderate approach and used his broad veto powers to increase funding for K-12 schools by $78 million. He also eliminated a provision benefiting electric car manufacturer Tesla that was a late addition to the budget and scrapped funding to start building a new adult prison to replace one in Green Bay.

Republicans had urged Evers to sign the $82 billion budget, which they cast as a compromise. No Democratic lawmakers voted for the budget, calling it a missed opportunity. Republicans don’t have the votes to override any of Evers’ vetoes.

Republicans stripped his proposals to accept federal money to expand Medicaid, legalize medical marijuana and increase the gas tax as part of a long-term plan to pay for roads.

Evers said the budget he was signing was “insufficient” in many ways.

“This is, in large part, due to the unfortunate lack of interest by some Republicans in the Legislature to work together and engage in constructive, bipartisan dialogue, and instead devoting far too much time to huffing and puffing,” Evers wrote.

Evers acknowledged some successes, including a 10% middle class tax cut, more than $465 million in new funding for roads, efforts to combat water pollution and more funding for health care programs.

Evers said his partial vetoes more closely align the budget with what he originally proposed.

Wisconsin’s governor has among the most expansive veto powers in the country, allowing him to strike out words within sentences to create new meanings, eliminate entire sections of the budget and individual digits in dollar amounts appropriated.

Evers’ predecessor, Republican Gov. Scott Walker, issued an average of 77 partial vetoes in each of the four budgets he signed into law even when they were passed by a GOP-controlled Legislature.

Republicans tried to tighten language in this budget to limit Evers’ ability to make dramatic changes.

The most significant veto from Evers, the former state superintendent of schools, came in K-12 funding. He increased the per-pupil aid amount to $742 in each of the next two years, up from the $679 and $704 the Legislature had in the budget. That will result in an $87 million increase for schools above the roughly $500 million more in the budget as passed.

Evers also eliminated a late addition to the budget that would have allowed Tesla to sell its vehicles directly to customers rather than through independent dealers. That was added to help secure the support of Republican state Sen. Chris Kapenga , a key vote in the Senate which narrowly passed the budget last week 17-16.

Evers also vetoed a provision that would have forbidden security costs for Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes to exceed those of his GOP predecessor, Rebecca Kleefisch. Republicans have been critical of the level of security Barnes has had since taking office.

Barnes, the first African American lieutenant governor in Wisconsin history, had nine times more hours of security protection during his first two months in office than Kleefisch had all of last year. There has been no stated security threat for the extra coverage.

The current budget year began on Monday and the new spending plan Evers signed goes into effect immediately.

Here’s a look at some of the most significant revisions and Evers’ explanations:

SCHOOL AID

Evers increased funding for K-12 public schools primarily by raising the per-pupil state aid amount to $742 in each of the next two fiscal years, up from the $679 and $704 Republicans put in the budget. Evers’ changes will result in an $87 million increase for schools above the $500 million or so in additional aid that Republicans provided.

TESLA DEALERSHIPS

Evers wiped out a provision that would have allowed Tesla to open dealerships in Wisconsin. Republicans added the language a day before the state Senate voted to pass the budget to secure key support from Republican state Sen. Chris Kapenga. Evers wrote that he objects to making such a dramatic change so late in the budget process without public debate.

CAPITOL SECURITY

Evers scrapped provisions that would have required the Department of Administration to study security at the state Capitol in consultation with the city of Madison Police Department. Evers said he objects to releasing information about potential security gaps in a public report and the Capitol Police, not city police, handles security at the Capitol. He did direct the Capitol Police to review existing Capitol security plans with input from city police.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Evers erased Republican language that would have limited how much the Wisconsin Department of Transportation can spend on state patrol protection for Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, the first African American to hold the post in Wisconsin. Evers wrote that the language undercuts the state patrol’s judgment. He also called the language politically driven and said it was intended to undermine Barnes.

CORRECTIONS MERIT PAY

Evers restored discretionary merit pay for Department of Corrections administrative and central office employees. Evers said Republican provisions blocking merit pay for DOC workers infringed on the Department of Administration’s authority to administer state employees pay policy, every other state agency can award merit raises and DOC needs every tool to combat a worker shortage.

NEW PRISON

The governor scratched a plan to spend $5 million to start bids and acquire property for a new prison to replace the aging Green Bay Correctional Institution. Evers wrote that he objects to building a new maximum security prison without more public input.

YOUTH PRISON

Evers restored $25 million in funding to pay for new state facilities to replace the Lincoln Hills/Copper Lake juvenile prisons. Evers also increased funding to allow for the full $59 million needed to expand the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center in Madison.

QUARRIES

The governor eliminated Republican-authored language that limits local governments’ authority to regulate quarries. Evers objected to the changes, which his predecessor Gov. Scott Walker also vetoed, without a chance for public debate.

ROADS

Evers dumped Republican provisions that would have allowed the Department of Transportation to spend up to $2.5 million on a study on tolling and mileage-based fees. Evers said he objects to spending money on another study that will only show that the most effective way to pay for roadwork is to raise the gas tax.

TRUCK FEES

Evers eliminated provisions that would have created a standard $100 truck registration fee. The move keeps the state’s current poundage-based tiered registration fees in place. Owners of trucks under 6,000 pounds pay a uniform $100 fee, owners of trucks between 6,000 and 8,000 pounds pay $106 and owners of trucks between 8,000 and 10,000 pounds pay $155. The governor wrote he objects to forcing owners of lighter vehicles to pay the same as heavier trucks that do more damage to the roads.

VOLKSWAGEN SETTLEMENT

The governor erased a Republican plan that reduced funding to $3 million from a settlement with Volkswagen to help school districts replace buses. Wisconsin was part of multistate settlements in 2016 and 2017 to resolve allegations that Volkswagen used special software in its vehicles to circumvent emissions standards. The state is expected to receive $25 million over the next two years. Evers’ veto restores his original proposal to spend $15 million of that to replace public buses and $10 million on charging stations for electric cars.

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