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State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
April 15, 2022
The Honorable, the Senate:
hist160176I am vetoing Senate Bill 213 in its entirety. This bill would change the venue for certain election law violations. Currently an action for certain election law violations must occur in the county where the defendant resides; the bill would provide that venue is proper in the county where the alleged violation occurred or, in some circumstances, a contiguous county. The bill would also allow any person to bypass filing a complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission in favor of commencing an action against an election official they believe has acted contrary to the law without first filing a complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy; it should not be subject to the whim of politicians who do not like the outcome of an election. Elected officials should not be able to abuse their power to cheat or control the outcomes of our elections or to prevent eligible voters from casting their ballots. This legislation is among many that have been sent to my desk during this legislative session, each passed under the guise of needing to reform our election system because elected officials in this state have enabled disinformation about our elections and election processes. I have and will object to each and every effort by this Legislature and its members to undermine our democracy, to erode confidence in our elections, and to demean and harass dedicated clerks, election administrators, and poll workers.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to changing the venue for these actions and changing the procedure for commencing an action against an election official. Currently, a person accused of violations of state election laws is tried in the circuit court for the county where the defendant resides, with certain exceptions. This bill would specify that the venue for trying certain violations be either in the county where the act occurred or potentially in a contiguous county. This would undoubtedly lead to parties shopping around for judges who are perceived as more sympathetic to one political side or another. This is a dangerous precedent to set, and one which is not healthy for a well-functioning democracy.
I also object to modifying the way in which a person challenges the actions of an election official. Currently, any individual, other than a district attorney or the attorney general, must first file a complaint with the Elections Commission, and only after the commission's review can the matter go before a court. This step is essential as election laws are highly complex. It is quite likely that members of the public may perceive there to be an incorrect action by an election official because they do not understand the detailed law that regulates our elections. By starting the process with the Elections Commission, election experts can review the actions or perceived failures of action and determine if there was a potential violation or if the complainant simply did not understand the law.
Respectfully submitted,
TONY EVERS
Governor
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State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
April 15, 2022
The Honorable, the Senate:
hist160177I am vetoing Senate Bill 347 in its entirety. This bill removes the requirement that animal exhibition facilities holding a U.S. Department of Agriculture Class C exhibitor license must also hold the relevant license issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to reducing the standards to which wildlife exhibition facilities are held in Wisconsin. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Class C license has some requirements that are more lenient than those of the Department of Natural Resources. Eliminating the state licensing requirement for these facilities would prevent the department from applying state standards that are designed to ensure humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of captive animals.
Respectfully submitted,
TONY EVERS
Governor
_____________
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
April 15, 2022
The Honorable, the Senate:
hist160178I am vetoing Senate Bill 365 in its entirety. The bill modifies the statutory definition of broadband “unserved” areas to be an area of the state not served by at least one Internet service provider that provides download speeds of at least 100 megabits per second and upload speeds of at least 20 megabits per second and removes the statutory definition of broadband “underserved” areas. This bill also modifies the criteria by which the Public Service Commission may award grants under the Broadband Expansion Grant Program, including codifying and making changes to existing procedures that allow an Internet service provider to challenge the awarding of a grant if it currently provides broadband service to the area at the minimum download and upload speeds defined in the bill or if it credibly plans to complete construction of broadband infrastructure and provide broadband service at the minimum speed levels defined by the bill within 24 months. Under the bill, the Commission is required to evaluate such a challenge and prohibits it from funding the grant if it determines the challenge to be credible.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to the creation of a procedure that would allow Internet service providers to block competition in rural and outlying areas of the state for up to two years by interfering with grants to other providers, potentially leaving residents with no service, inadequate service, or unaffordable service for a longer period. The Broadband Expansion Grant Program provides funding for broadband infrastructure in areas where private sector investment is insufficient. This statutory challenge process will delay the delivery of critical broadband service to rural areas of Wisconsin, which will leave rural students and residents further behind and put area small businesses at a competitive disadvantage.
I also object to codifying the speed definition of an “unserved” area in state statute. Broadband technology is evolving at a rapid pace and defining the speed of broadband service that leaves an individual as “unserved” in state statute could leave the Public Service Commission unable to make necessary updates to the Broadband Expansion Grant Program quickly in the future.
Expanding broadband to those areas of the state that need it is a key priority of my administration. Between federal pandemic aid and the state funding in the Broadband Expansion Grant Program, my administration has invested over $280 million in broadband infrastructure to deliver high-speed Internet access. In order to build out this infrastructure as quickly as possible, we need to support any entity that can do the job, and that includes the public sector as well as private sector companies that may not currently serve a specific area. Now is not the time to grant a competitive advantage to providers that have chosen not to deliver this service to these communities.
Respectfully submitted,
TONY EVERS
Governor
_____________
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
April 15, 2022
The Honorable, the Senate:
hist160179I am vetoing Senate Bill 394 in its entirety. This bill creates a new license for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), administered by the Board of Nursing attached to the Department of Safety and Professional Services.
Nurses are essential to our healthcare system, patient care, and ensuring we have healthy communities in Wisconsin. Indeed, look no further than the last few years, during which nurses across our state have worked tirelessly on the frontlines during this pandemic—acts of selflessness and service for which we can never fully express our gratitude.
I recognize there are many individuals who support this legislation and others who do not, each with important stories, considerations, and concerns. I respect the many people and professions on both sides of this conversation. Unfortunately, the bill ultimately before me today does not address some of the issues raised by parties in the medical profession that went unremedied during the legislative process. I am therefore vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to altering current licensure standards for APRNs, allowing practices functionally equivalent to those of physicians or potentially omitting physicians from a patient’s care altogether notwithstanding significant differences in required education, training, and experience.
I have appreciated the opportunity to give this thoughtful consideration and I welcome continuing the conversations on this important issue.
Respectfully submitted,
TONY EVERS
Governor
_____________
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
April 15, 2022
The Honorable, the Senate:
hist160180I am vetoing Senate Bill 409 in its entirety. This bill would prohibit providing instruction in any course to students at the University of Wisconsin System and the Wisconsin Technical College System that includes any one of several concepts listed in the bill. Additionally, this bill punishes any institution or technical college found to be in violation of this bill by requiring the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents and the Technical College System Board to withhold five percent of that institution or college’s state aid allocation. Further, the bill would create a private legal enforcement action, allowing individuals to sue for violations of the bill, and would require a court to award attorney fees among other forms of relief.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to creating new censorship rules that restrict educators and higher education institutions from teaching honest, complete facts about important historical topics like the Civil War and civil rights. I continue to trust parents, students, educators, and our higher education institutions to work together to do what is best for our students without political interference and micromanagement from politicians in Madison. I also object to the Legislature’s continued efforts to politicize our higher education institutions, sow division on our campuses, and micromanage the University of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Technical College Systems. The Legislature must stop using our kids and our students as political pawns. Educators should be able to teach honest, complete facts, and our students deserve to learn in an atmosphere conducive to learning without the Legislature’s unnecessary, politically motivated encroachment and censorship.
Respectfully submitted,
TONY EVERS
Governor
_____________
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
April 15, 2022
The Honorable, the Senate:
hist160181I am vetoing Senate Bill 494 in its entirety. This bill would make numerous changes to the Department of Natural Resources’ aquatic plant management program. The bill would modify the purpose of the aquatic plant management program to require the department to utilize management methods that ensure invasive and nuisance aquatic plants are suppressed or eradicated to the greatest extent possible. The bill would also require that, when reviewing an aquatic plant management plan, the department give equal consideration to plans that utilize chemical treatments. Additionally, the bill would provide an exemption from the permitting process for certain private ponds under 10 acres.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to requiring the department to eradicate invasive and nuisance aquatic plants without sufficient safeguards for protecting the plants and waters of the state. The department currently balances the benefits of eliminating invasive and nuisance aquatic plants with other ecological, social, and economic impacts. Setting eradication as the standard could lead to overaggressive policies that harm our environment, our tourism economy, and quality of life for Wisconsin residents.
I also object to requiring the department to give chemical treatments equal consideration to non-chemical treatments. Individual bodies of water and aquatic management plans must be evaluated to determine the best management strategy. Broadly requiring the department to give equal consideration to chemical treatments, even in cases where chemical treatment is not appropriate, may have the effect of favoring chemical treatments over non-chemical treatments.
I further object to providing an exemption from the permitting process for certain private ponds under 10 acres. This provision could have a major impact on Wisconsin’s waters, as the department estimates that it could apply to up to 45,000 bodies of water. Before issuing a permit for chemical treatment, the department reviews the body of water to determine if there are any known endangered, threatened, or special concern species located at the site. By removing the permit requirement, we would lose this valuable check and potentially harm environmentally and culturally important species
Finally, I object to modifying the aquatic plant management program while the department is in the process of updating its administrative rules for the program. The administrative rulemaking process began in April 2020, with the approval of the scope statement and has involved considerable stakeholder input. Stakeholder input is a valuable part of the rulemaking process and gives a voice to the citizens of Wisconsin. This bill would circumvent the department’s rulemaking process and disregard the stakeholder input that was collected as a part of that process.
Respectfully submitted,
TONY EVERS
Governor
_____________
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
April 15, 2022
The Honorable, the Senate:
hist160182I am vetoing Senate Bill 570 in its entirety. This bill would, with certain exceptions, limit the civil liability of firearm, firearm accessory, and ammunition manufacturers, distributors, importers, trade associations, sellers and dealers.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to creating more immunities for the gun industry. Under the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, Pub. L. 109-92, the gun industry already enjoys the benefit of broad immunity that virtually no other industry receives in federal and state courts. This bill would double down on those privileges and create an unprecedented, punitive fee-shifting mechanism in Wisconsin. I believe the presumption should be an open courthouse door to anyone seeking justice and an honest debate of the law of the land. Any immunity or deviation from that presumption should be tailored and finite. Creating more far-reaching immunities to protect the gun industry is unnecessary and the wrong approach.
As I have previously said, Wisconsinites desperately want their elected leaders to act on gun safety and support having a meaningful, thoughtful dialogue about common-sense solutions that will both respect and uphold rights while keeping our communities safe. These goals are not mutually exclusive, and I continue to welcome constructive conversations to that end.
Respectfully submitted,
TONY EVERS
Governor
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State of Wisconsin
