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Governor’s Veto Message
April 8, 2022
To the Honorable Members of the Assembly:
The following bills, originating in the Assembly, have been vetoed in their entirety, and were returned to their house of origin, together with the objections in writing:
Bill Number Date of Veto
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 122 in its entirety.
This bill permits and defines a “micro education pod” as an educational program between two and ten family units and up to 20 children in a single location with a designated administrator. The ability to use micro education pods would sunset after the 2023-2024 school year.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to creating an entirely new type of largely unregulated educational structure. The bill would functionally create a new class of small private entities that would operate outside of the current laws applying to private schools and homeschooling, such as those relating to special education, employment, building codes, teacher licensing, and health and safety standards. Micro education pods would operate as mostly unregulated, small private schools with some components of homeschooling. More broadly, this bill is part of a series of efforts by this Legislature to politicize our schools and our education system while refusing to make meaningful, necessary investments in our kids and our schools. I welcome the opportunity to work together with the Legislature to do what’s best for our kids.
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 152 in its entirety.
This bill creates an exemption from the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Service's examination requirement for certain building and plumbing plans and modifies other aspects of the building plan review process.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to passing unnecessary legislation that could ultimately compromise safety by undermining the department’s current process, which helps ensure public health and safety standards are met. Moreover, my administration has already successfully addressed the problem this bill seeks to solve. Three years ago, building and plumbing plan review times were taking much too long and negatively impacting building constructions and renovations. As a result, my administration, and specifically the department's secretary, took the initiative to find a way to reduce plan review time and successfully did so. Since taking these steps, plan review time has been reduced by about half; from 10 to 12 weeks to four to six weeks, on average. In fact, in 2020, most plan reviews were completed in three to five weeks. Therefore, what this legislation intends to do has already been accomplished without compromising safety.
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 414 in its entirety.
The bill would require the Departments of Revenue and Administration, respectively, to potentially withhold state funding from any local or state government agency if that agency requires employees to attend training relating to any number of concepts prescribed in the bill.
I am vetoing the bill in its entirety because I object to the Legislature attempting to infringe upon the executive branch of state government, especially under cover of politically motivated claims and erroneous assumptions for which the Legislature has no meaningful basis.
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 446 in its entirety.
The bill would mandate school boards and independent charter schools to assess the early literacy skill of pupils in four-year-old kindergarten to second grade using screening assessments throughout the year and to create a personal reading plan for each pupil in five-year-old kindergarten to second grade who is identified as at-risk. It would also require the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to establish and maintain lists of approved fundamental skills screening assessments, universal screening assessments, and diagnostic assessments on its Internet site based on alignment with model academic standards in reading and language arts, and a mandatory minimum sensitivity rate and specificity rate. Further, this bill would mandate a school board, for each school and district, or operator of an independent charter, to annually submit a report to DPI regarding the number of pupils identified as at-risk, the names of reading assessments used, and the number of pupils in five-year-old kindergarten to second grade who receive literacy interventions, all information which the department would then annually compile and report to the Legislature. The amended bill requires the use of at least $5,000,0000 in one-time American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 federal funding to implement its new mandates for screenings and interventions or to address staffing or other resource needs necessary for implementation.
When I vetoed the Senate version of this bill, SB 454, I raised concerns about the need for long-term sustainable funding. Wisconsin is projected to have a $3.8 billion surplus at the end of the 2021-23 biennium—nearly $2.9 billion more than was expected in June 2021—while the state’s ‘rainy day’ fund now sits at the highest level in state history. Instead of amending the bill to utilize state dollars and ensure ongoing funding, the bill was amended to require the use of already allocated one-time federal funds. I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I continue to object to overhauling Wisconsin’s reading readiness system for assessment and intervention without evidence that the proposed approach is best suited to our students, without long-term, sustainable funding.
As I stated previously, we need to address reading proficiency and increase literacy success in our schools, particularly after the challenges our kids, parents, and schools faced during the pandemic. A bill that will ultimately lead to reducing valuable instruction time and asks schools to rely on one-time money for long-term expenses fails to provide the necessary and meaningful investments our kids and our schools deserve.
As I advocated for as Superintendent of Public Instruction, and have proposed as Governor is that we need to provide the necessary funding to support the work of our educators, administrators, and staff currently doing the work with our kids to ensure reading and literacy success.
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 495 in its entirety.
This bill would weaken current conceal carry weapon license regulations establishing gun-free school zones by allowing, under certain circumstances, a concealed carry weapon licensee to possess a loaded firearm on school grounds.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to creating another exception to the gun-free school zone law. Wisconsin's gun-free school zone law passed with strong bipartisan support and was signed into law by Governor Thompson in 1991. Wisconsinites desperately want their elected leaders to take action to find common-sense solutions that both respect and uphold rights and ensure our schools, our streets, and our communities are safe. To that end, I have been proud to invest more than $100 million into violence and crime prevention and efforts to support local and tribal public safety agencies.
By contrast, this bill neither improves public safety nor addresses gun violence in our state by allowing for an increased presence of firearms—including loaded firearms—on school grounds. This could only further endanger our kids and make our schools less safe.
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 518 in its entirety.
This bill would expand conceal carry reciprocity by allowing an out-of-state resident with authorization issued by any other state to carry a concealed weapon in Wisconsin. Currently, the Wisconsin Department of Justice maintains a reciprocity list that outlines those states whose permits are honored in Wisconsin. Other states’ permits are only honored if they require as part of the license, or designate that the holder chose to submit to, a background search comparable to the type of background check required for Wisconsin licenses. This bill removes the requirement that the issuing state is on this list.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to letting non-residents carry concealed weapons in our state without having met the same criteria as Wisconsinites. The department’s background check process serves a critical public safety function. This bill would risk public safety by allowing out-of-state residents to enter our state, carry concealed weapons, and avoid the same background check process that a Wisconsin licensee must undergo.
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 569 in its entirety.
This bill would require the Wisconsin Department of Corrections to reimburse local units of government for law enforcement investigative services provided for incidents involving persons in the care of the department. The legislature voted to remove the funding necessary to support this legislation before sending it to my desk.
I support reimbursing local units of government for law enforcement investigative services. That is why I included language in my 2021-23 executive budget to reimburse local units of government for law enforcement investigative services and provided funding to make such reimbursements. That budget provision was rejected by the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance on a party-line vote. My administration’s support is also among the reasons why the Department of Corrections originally provided written testimony in support of this bill.
Unfortunately, an amendment during the legislative process removed the funding behind this proposal. I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to the Legislature’s failure to provide the necessary resources for implementation, creating an unfunded mandate, when the state has ample resources available to support this effort.
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 597 in its entirety.
This bill would allow an individual licensed to carry a concealed weapon to possess a firearm in a place of worship that is located on the same grounds as a private school.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to creating another exception to the gun-free school zone law. Wisconsin's gun-free school zone law passed with strong bipartisan support and was signed into law by Governor Thompson in 1991. Wisconsinites desperately want their elected leaders to take action to find common-sense solutions that both respect and uphold rights and ensure our schools, our streets, and our communities are safe. To that end, I have been proud to invest more than $100 million into violence and crime prevention and efforts to support local and tribal public safety agencies.
By contrast, this bill neither improves public safety nor addresses gun violence in our state by allowing for an increased presence of firearms—including loaded firearms—on school grounds. This could only further endanger our kids and make our schools less safe.
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 643 in its entirety.
This bill would specify that a Department of Administration construction project selection committee may not refuse an architect or engineer for a construction project costing less than $7,400,000 simply because the architect or engineer operates a firm with only one architect or engineer.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to removing requirements designed to protect the state, and in turn, its taxpayers. It is prudent for the state to require that firms wishing to complete large and expensive building projects have a second architect or engineer in the event that the first architect is ill, injured, or otherwise unable to complete the project on time. The state has an obligation to protect taxpayer dollars, especially when it comes to multimillion-dollar building projects; it is therefore reasonable to require that if a firm wishes to take part in a building project for the state, the firm must either have a second architect or engineer, as the project warrants, or partner with another architect or engineer to give the state necessary assurance of coverage.
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 675 in its entirety.
This bill would mandate that employers requiring proof of vaccine against COVID-19 must accept documentation demonstrating natural immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (COVID-19) in lieu of proof of vaccination or regular testing.
I am vetoing this bill because I object to preventing employers from making decisions that are informed by science and public health to help combat the spread of COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccine remains the most effective tool we have to prevent serious illness, hospitalizations, and death.
Private entities and businesses should remain free to implement COVID-19 mitigation measures to keep themselves, their workers, and customers safe without the Legislature’s political interference.
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 776 in its entirety.
Under current law, it is a Class I felony to damage or graffiti property if the damage exceeds $2,500 or to damage certain property on state-owned land. This bill further specifies in state law that any damage or graffiti to certain property or to a structure, plaque, statue, painting, or other monument of commemorative or historical significance that is maintained by any state, county, or municipality or that is located on publicly owned land would also result in a Class I felony.
I am vetoing this bill because the behavior this bill purports to address is already prohibited and punishable under current law. It is already a Class A misdemeanor to commit these acts if the damage is less than $2,500. An individual who commits these acts and causes damage valued at over $2,500 is already punishable with a Class I felony under current Wisconsin state law. Thus, current law already ensures individuals who engage in this behavior can be held accountable.
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 777 in its entirety.
This bill would require the Governor to allocate $10,000,000 of federal funds awarded to Wisconsin from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) to political subdivisions for costs associated with policing. Any grant program would have to be approved by a legislative committee, which would also have the authority to modify it.
My administration and I have, thankfully, not waited for Legislative direction to begin this important work. Last fall, I announced my administration would be making a $45 million investment in ensuring safer communities through violence prevention and support for crime victims. Additionally, I recently announced more than $50 million into efforts to address reckless driving, support evidence-based crime prevention strategies, and alleviate justice system backlogs.
To date, I have been proud to invest more than $100 million into violence and crime prevention and efforts to promote public safety in communities across our state. Among that $100 million includes a program to invest nearly $19 million into providing funding to local and tribal law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin. This will enable these public safety agencies to address the unique needs facing their communities, including training, recruitment bonuses, community policing needs, and technology investments. The determination of an agency’s amount is a formula based on the population served and includes a violent crime add-on for locations where violent crime exceeds the statewide average.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to the Legislature’s effort to limit the state’s ability to use federal funds and also because my administration has already been using federal aid to invest in violence prevention and crime prevention and community safety efforts, including supporting costs associated with public safety efforts. Additionally, in Wisconsin, it remains the role of the Governor to oversee the use of federal funds under Section 16.54 of the Wisconsin State Statutes, which has been established and reaffirmed on several occasions. I am vetoing Assembly Bill 824 in its entirety.
This bill would create a five-year penalty enhancer for a battery to a Department of Corrections employee by a person in custody. This bill would also require that any sentence imposed pursuant to this bill must run consecutively, rather than concurrently, to any sentence the person is already serving.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because the conduct this bill purportedly seeks to address is already prohibited and punishable under current law and judges already have the discretion to impose a sentence consecutively rather than concurrently. More specifically, current law already outlines increased penalties for batteries committed under specific circumstances, including currently existing increased penalties if committed by a person in our care at a correctional institution, or if the victim is a probation agent, extended supervision agent, parole agent, community supervision agent, aftercare agent, or a nurse.
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 827 in its entirety.
