MADISON – Nearly ten years ago, Governor Evers’ gubernatorial campaign started with a controversy over how he handled a teacher watching porn in a classroom. Now, one of Gov. Evers’ last acts is to veto a bill that would help keep pornography away from the eyes of our children.

Gov. Evers says he wants to protect our kids, but his actions tell a different story. On Good Friday, Gov. Evers vetoed Assembly Bill 105, a bill that would require porn websites to ensure only adults are accessing their products. Similar legislation to AB 105 has been signed into law in twenty-five states including by several Democrat governors (see Gov. Katie Hobbs in Arizona and Gov. Andy Beshear in Kentucky).

Here in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Senate voice voted the bill, and eighteen Assembly Democrats voted for the bill. In total, ¾ of the Assembly voted in favor of AB 105. That matches polling which has found public support for these kinds of laws ranging from 70–80%.

Daniel Degner, president of Wisconsin Family Action says, “It is shameful that the Governor of Wisconsin is choosing to parrot talking points from porn companies rather than acting to protect our kids. Gov. Evers hides behind a tired and disproven narrative to avoid the reality that he alone has put thousands of children at risk.”

Sadly, studies show that the majority of kids are being exposed to porn by age 13, and research is clear that regular consumption of online pornography has been associated with a higher likelihood of negative mental health effects along with a host of other problems.

Degner observes, “Governor Evers’ defense of his veto falls flat. At best, his veto message demonstrates an insufficient knowledge of the technology being discussed. At worst, it’s hard to tell where Gov. Evers’ words start and where the porn industry talking points end.”

First, the burden Gov. Evers objects to for adults is the same burden adults accept to buy alcohol, board a plane, rent a car, or file taxes online.

Second, the governor tries to make AB 105 sound like a violation of constitutional rights. However, the highest court in our country just ruled last year that, “The power to require age verification is within a State’s authority to prevent children from accessing sexually explicit content. [It is} a constitutionally permissible exercise of that authority.” (Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton)

Finally, Gov. Evers even repeats the same talking points being put forward by companies like Pornhub, a notorious trafficker of rape and child porn, about device-based alternatives. Big porn uses device-based alternatives as a red herring to shift the cost and liability of their own product onto everyone else.

Degner concludes, “Wisconsin children continue to be one click away from content that no child should ever see. Gov. Evers becomes the first in the country to veto age-verification legislation that protects children from pornography after the Paxton decision. Gov. Evers had a simple choice: side with kids or side with the porn industry. This veto is his choice.”