Evers Broke Law by Using Partial Veto to Delay $50 Million for Literacy Reform
MADISON – Senator Eric Wimberger (R-Oconto) released the following statement after the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling in Wisconsin State Legislature v. Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, which found that Governor Evers exceeded his authority by illegally partially vetoing the literacy bill passed by legislative Republicans last session:
“Governor Evers attempted to take the power over the purse away from the Legislature, and the Supreme Court stopped him. He used a literacy program aimed at helping struggling kids as an opportunity to play politics, try to redefine the word ‘appropriation,’ and become both the executive and legislative branches.
Today’s unanimous Supreme Court ruling confirms that the Governor’s decision to hold up funds for literacy reform was not only against the law, but needlessly delayed $50 million of support from reaching our classrooms.”
Last session, the Legislature passed a sweeping reading reform bill to return Wisconsin’s schools to proven, science-based approaches to literacy education, replacing failing curricula and getting struggling readers the help they need in their classrooms. Studies show that 64% of Wisconsin third graders can’t read at grade level, and 70% of Wisconsin schools use an objectively failing literacy curriculum.
Governor Evers used his veto pen to turn the $50 million funding these reading reforms into an unaccountable slush fund for the Department of Public Instruction. Instead of funding the bipartisan priority for which the Legislature originally appropriated the $50 million, the money was tied up in court. The Supreme Court’s ruling today affirms that the Governor’s use of the partial veto to block this $50 million from reaching Wisconsin classrooms was an illegal action.
