Sincerely,
TONY EVERS
Governor
Pursuant to s. 35.095 (1)(b), Wisconsin Statutes, the following 2021 Act(s) have been published: Act Number Bill Number Publication Date
_____________
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
December 3, 2021
The Honorable, the Senate:
hist144860I am vetoing Senate Bill 125 in its entirety. This bill would permit a tax subtraction for certain tuition expenses paid by an individual for the individual or their dependent to participate in an apprenticeship program approved by the Department of Workforce Development.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to the manner in which it is duplicative of certain existing tax benefits while leaving out important partners in Wisconsin’s apprenticeship system. Under current law, an individual can qualify for existing tuition tax breaks for tuition they have paid to a variety of higher education institutions, including but not limited to Wisconsin universities, technical colleges, private colleges, certain approved vocational schools, and even institutions of higher education in Minnesota that fall under the Minnesota-Wisconsin reciprocity agreement. Furthermore, the bill omits key participants in the apprenticeship system by not including tuition expenses paid by trade unions and employers on behalf of their employees.
Respectfully submitted,
TONY EVERS
Governor
_____________
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
December 3, 2021
The Honorable, the Senate:
hist144861I am vetoing Senate Bill 463 in its entirety. This bill effectively requires school boards to maintain on their website a list of and bibliographic information for every piece of material assigned, distributed, or presented at any activity or course at every school in the district and in every classroom of every grade level for every subject area, with very limited exceptions, and to update that list no less than twice each school year and to provide a full text or copy of the material created by the board or a teacher employed by the board. The bill includes no appropriation and provides no additional resources or staff support to ensure school districts can implement these requirements.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to this bill’s failure to provide the necessary funding to implement these measures. I have and will continue to urge the Wisconsin State Legislature to provide sustainable, long-term state support for K-12 education so we can ensure our school boards, administrators, educators, and staff have the support and resources to further foster communication and collaboration with parents and promote parent involvement.
I trust parents and school boards to work together to do what’s best for our kids because we know we can improve academic achievement when parents have the opportunity to be actively involved in their kids’ lives, including supporting their education. I know how powerful family engagement is in kids’ loves, and as an educator and administrator, I greatly values the opportunity to engage with parents and family members about their children’s education. By providing the necessary, additional funding and bolstering staff resources, we can better empower and facilitate parent engagement, which is essential for our kids’ success.
Additionally, under existing federal law,-every school district already must have policies and procedures to make sure parents can request access to instructional materials being taught to their kids. Nearly all school districts also have policies and procedures to address parents’ concerns or complaints about instructional materials being used in their kids’ classrooms. These are essential measures for promoting parent engagement while ensuring transparency in our classrooms.
Finally, this bill exempts independent charter schools and private schools in the various parental choice programs likely funding mostly or entirely by state and local tax dollars. We should be working to improve transparency and accountability for every parent, regardless of which school their kid attends.
Respectfully submitted,
TONY EVERS
Governor
_____________
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
December 3, 2021
The Honorable, the Senate:
hist144862I am vetoing Senate Bill 16 in its entirety. This bill relates to healthcare provider standards of care following an abortion and provides a criminal penalty.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to legislation designed to interfere between patients and their physicians. This bill only serves to create political interference with the personal healthcare decisions made by parents, in consultation with their healthcare providers, while faced with difficult reproductive healthcare decisions late in pregnancy due to medical emergencies and life-threatening circumstances. Moreover, existing state law already provides the protection this bill seeks.
Respectfully submitted,
TONY EVERS
Governor
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State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
December 3, 2021
The Honorable, the Senate:
hist144863I am vetoing Senate Bill 503 in its entirety. This bill would prohibit the Department of Health Services from certifying, and requires the department to decertify by July 1, 2022, and any provider under the Medical Assistance program that is a private entity that provides abortion services, with certain exceptions. The bill would also require the department to seek any waiver of federal law, state plan amendment, or other federal approval necessary to implement this prohibition.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to placing restrictions on a patient’s access to basic reproductive healthcare. Under current law, government funding cannot be used to provide abortion services. And yet, this bill maliciously seeks to limit healthcare options for people seeking a number of basic, preventative, and life-saving care, such as pre-natal and pregnancy care, cancer screening and prevention, sexually transmitted infection screening and treatment, and wellness exams.
Amid an ongoing pandemic, we should not be limiting options for folks to access basic and necessary care. We should be doing everything we can to ensure every Wisconsinite has access to quality, affordable healthcare, including preventative healthcare.
Respectfully submitted,
TONY EVERS
Governor
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State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
December 3, 2021
The Honorable, the Senate:
