GOP senators pass bill to repeal Evers’ 400-year veto for school funding

Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate voted to repeal a 400-year increase to school funding on Tuesday, but their bill is almost certainly headed for rejection by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, whose powerful partial veto pen carved out the funding in the first place.

Evers used his veto to strike digits and a hyphen from a temporary school funding increase in the 2023 budget, authorizing local school districts to increase their per-pupil spending by $325 annually through the year 2425.

GOP lawmakers have railed against Evers, claiming he abused his powers and the state constitution’s separation of powers. In April, the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld the partial veto, despite some justices calling it “extreme” and “outrageous.”

The bill Senate Republicans passed Tuesday would sunset the $325 increase at the end of the 2027-2028 school year.

Ahead of the Senate vote, Sen. Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, accused Evers and the Supreme Court’s liberal majority of exceeding their authority and hurting the people of Wisconsin.

“What we want to do is we want to clarify that the original intent of the Legislature in the budget was to increase school funding for the next budget,” Kapenga said. “And we allow other legislatures going forward to determine what the best funding is.”

During debate on the bill, Senate Democrats placed the blame for Evers’ veto on Republican lawmakers, arguing they had underfunded schools for years. Sen. Sarah Keyeski, D-Lodi, said even if districts used their authority to raise local property taxes under Evers’ 400-year veto, they’d still be unable to meet inflationary costs.

“It was an effort to help right a wrong that has been perpetrated, truly, by the Republicans in this body for far too long,” Keyeski said. “There has been a gross underfunding of our public schools.” 

The bill passed the Senate on an 18-15 party-line vote. It now heads to the Assembly, where Republicans hold a 54-45 majority.

It almost certainly won’t become law because it would need Evers’ signature to take effect. A spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to an email asking if the governor would sign the bill and effectively repeal his own actions from two years ago.

GOP senators pass legislation to allow free speech lawsuits against college administrators

For at least the third time since 2021, Republican state senators also passed a bill aimed at creating new standards for free speech and academic freedom at state universities and technical colleges. To enforce those standards, the GOP bill would make it easier for members of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents or local governing boards of tech colleges to be sued for alleged free speech violations. Previous versions of the bill were introduced in 2021 and 2023. Evers has vetoed the legislation before.

There was no debate on the campus free speech bill Tuesday. It passed almost along party lines, with State Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, siding with all 15 Democratic senators who opposed it. A staff member in Nass’ office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on why he voted against the measure.

Another higher education bill, introduced by Sen. Rob Hutton, R-Brookfield, that would block the UW from charging additional fees for online courses, passed on an 18-15 party-line vote.