Madison, WI: Rep. Gustafson issued the following statement after Governor Tony Evers vetoed AB 211:
“Governor Evers’ veto of AB 211 is a gutless betrayal of Wisconsin small businesses and every adult who expects basic honesty from their government. This bill, introduced by a CANCER SURVIVOR, was airtight. It created a narrow, heavily regulated exemption that kept the statewide smoking ban fully intact while allowing a tiny number of adult-only tobacco bars to operate under some of the strictest conditions in the country.
Evers knew that. He claimed to have read the bill. His staff might have briefed him. I’d like to assume that he understood exactly what AB 211 did, and more importantly, what it didn’t do. But instead of acknowledging the truth, he hid behind manufactured fear and hollow talking points to justify a political hit job on entrepreneurs who have done nothing but play by the rules.
As a cancer survivor, I know this veto wasn’t about health, safety, or policy. It was about appeasing the same special-interest groups he’s terrified to disagree with. It was about optics, not substance. It was about a Governor who would rather parrot advocacy-group slogans than defend Wisconsin jobs.
By killing AB 211, Governor Evers proved that his support for ‘small business’ is nothing more than a slogan he dusts off for press conferences. When he had the chance to take a stand for economic freedom, a simple, reasonable, adult-choice policy, he folded instantly. No courage. No leadership. Just another veto designed to score points with the people who already write his talking points for him.
The message from the Governor’s Mansion couldn’t be clearer: Evers doesn’t trust adults, doesn’t trust entrepreneurs, and doesn’t trust Wisconsin to think for itself. He chose political obedience over truth, over fairness, and over the people he claims to serve.
Wisconsin deserved better than this cowardly, cynical veto, and the Governor should be ashamed of it.”
