State lawmakers proposing a change to the state constitution to limit veto power

Republican state lawmakers are proposing a change to the state constitution to limit the governor’s ability to veto parts of appropriation bills. Governors of both parties have had expansive partial veto powers for nearly a century. Right now, the governor is able to veto numbers, words and punctuation in spending bills to alter the meaning or amounts. Gov. Tony Evers used this power in 2023 to secure a 400-year education funding increase. That action faced legal challenges, but the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld Evers’ partial veto earlier this year.  Several Republican lawmakers are sponsoring a resolution that would change the state constitution to only allow the governor to veto full sections of an appropriations bill or reduce spending. In order to change the state constitution, lawmakers in both chambers of the legislature have to pass the resolution in two consecutive sessions. Then, the measure will be on the ballot for voters to approve or deny.