hist194510Assembly Bill 960
hist194482Assembly Bill 965
hist194483Assembly Bill 966
hist194484Assembly Bill 967
hist194485Assembly Bill 973
hist194486Assembly Bill 976
hist194488Assembly Bill 978
hist194489Assembly Bill 1050
Presented to the Governor on Thursday, March 21.
EDWARD A. BLAZEL
Assembly Chief Clerk
_____________
Executive Communications
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
Madison
March 21, 2024
To the Honorable Members of the Assembly:
The following bills, originating in the Assembly, have been approved, signed and deposited in the office of the Secretary of State:
Bill Number   Act Number   Date Approved
hist194540Assembly Bill 29   149   March 21, 2024
hist194546Assembly Bill 230   164   March 21, 2024
hist194523Assembly Bill 298   124   March 21, 2024
hist194524Assembly Bill 330   125   March 21, 2024
hist194556Assembly Bill 548   170   March 21, 2024
hist194548Assembly Bill 550   165   March 21, 2024
hist194525Assembly Bill 574   131   March 21, 2024
hist194527Assembly Bill 627   143   March 21, 2024
hist194550Assembly Bill 637   166   March 21, 2024
hist194522Assembly Bill 664   123   March 21, 2024
hist194526Assembly Bill 742   138   March 21, 2024
hist194538Assembly Bill 793   148   March 21, 2024
hist194552Assembly Bill 869   167   March 21, 2024
hist194542Assembly Bill 910   150   March 21, 2024
hist194544Assembly Bill 912   151   March 21, 2024
hist194534Assembly Bill 932   144   March 21, 2024
hist194536Assembly Bill 933   145   March 21, 2024
hist194554Assembly Bill 964   168   March 21, 2024
Respectfully submitted,
TONY EVERS
Governor
_____________
Pursuant to s. 35.095 (1)(b), Wisconsin Statutes, the following 2023 Acts have been published:
Act Number   Bill Number   Publication Date
hist194533Wisconsin Act 123   Assembly Bill 664   March 22, 2024
hist194532Wisconsin Act 124   Assembly Bill 298   March 22, 2024
hist194531Wisconsin Act 125   Assembly Bill 330   March 22, 2024
hist194530Wisconsin Act 131   Assembly Bill 574   March 22, 2024
hist194529Wisconsin Act 138   Assembly Bill 742   March 22, 2024
hist194528Wisconsin Act 143   Assembly Bill 627   March 22, 2024
hist194535Wisconsin Act 144   Assembly Bill 932   March 22, 2024
hist194537Wisconsin Act 145   Assembly Bill 933   March 22, 2024
hist194539Wisconsin Act 148   Assembly Bill 793   March 22, 2024
hist194541Wisconsin Act 149   Assembly Bill 29   March 22, 2024
hist194543Wisconsin Act 150   Assembly Bill 910   March 22, 2024
hist194545Wisconsin Act 151   Assembly Bill 912   March 22, 2024
hist194547Wisconsin Act 164   Assembly Bill 230   March 22, 2024
hist194549Wisconsin Act 165   Assembly Bill 550   March 22, 2024
hist194551Wisconsin Act 166   Assembly Bill 637   March 22, 2024
hist194553Wisconsin Act 167   Assembly Bill 869   March 22, 2024
hist194555Wisconsin Act 168   Assembly Bill 964   March 22, 2024
hist194557Wisconsin Act 170   Assembly Bill 548   March 22, 2024
_____________
Governor's Veto Message
March 21, 2024
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
hist194469Assembly Bill 476   March 21, 2024
hist194470Assembly Bill 543   March 21, 2024
hist194471Assembly Bill 570   March 21, 2024
hist194472Assembly Bill 572   March 21, 2024
_____________
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 476 in its entirety.
This bill eliminates the ability of the Governor to fill vacancies through appointment for the Office of Secretary of State, Office of State Treasurer, Attorney General, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction without confirmation by the Wisconsin State Senate. Instead, under the bill, a vacancy would be filled through a special election unless the vacancy occurs in any of these positions on or after January 1 of a year in which there is a regularly scheduled election for the office. In the latter scenario under the bill the vacancy must be filled by appointment from the Governor subject to the advice and consent of the Wisconsin State Senate for the remainder of the unexpired term.
This bill is a purely partisan reaction to my appointment to fill the vacancy in the Office of the Secretary of State in March 2023. I am vetoing this bill because I object to the Wisconsin State Legislature's continued, widespread efforts to infringe upon executive branch authority, for example, as here, by unnecessarily restricting the ability of the Governor to make appointments to fill vacancies in important roles. The provisions of this bill could result in long-term vacancies in these critical positions, disrupting continuity of government, and resulting in the absence of leadership and accountability within core state government agencies and constitutional offices.
I further object to giving additional advice and consent authority to a hyper-partisan Wisconsin State Senate that has consistently abused its advice and consent powers to exact political retribution, threaten and bully dedicated public servants, and cause irreparable damage to our state's institutions.
_____________
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 543 in its entirety.
This bill would modify certain election procedures by substantially reducing the distance between election observers and the election workers and processes they are observing. The bill also explicitly states that election observers shall have access to all stages of the election process and creates penalties to enforce these provisions against election officials. Additionally, the bill would apply election access provisions to recount procedures.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to reducing the distance between election observers and the tables where election activities are occurring. Wisconsin's existing laws already provide robust election security measures to ensure persons who wish to observe our elections have the opportunity to do so. Under current law, Wisconsin's election procedures specify that individuals may observe election activities at a minimum distance of three feet and a maximum of eight feet at polling places, in-person absentee voting sites, and absentee ballot processing locations. This allows observers sufficient proximity to ensure election procedures are being followed correctly while also making sure local officials can provide appropriate viewing areas, given the space available, without impeding the work of local clerks, election administrators, and poll workers. This bill mandates that election observers may be no more than three feet away, increasing the potential for observers to interfere with or intimidate eligible voters casting their ballot as well as election officials performing their critical responsibilities.
I cannot support legislation that could enable voter intimidation and prevent election workers from effectively and efficiently carrying out their important duties without interference.
_____________
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 570 in its entirety.
The bill would create a procedure for conducting an election at qualified retirement home and residential care facilities during a public health emergency or an incident of infectious disease that restricts access to such facilities, by appointing employees of such facilities as “personal care voting assistants” to assist with absentee voting. The bill would also add requirements for absentee ballots, including mandating electronic notification of ballot defects and prohibiting correction of certification errors by individuals other than the voter, or a witness with respect to a witness certificate. Furthermore, this bill would change requirements and procedures relating to special voting deputies dispatched to qualified retirement home and residential care facilities, would modify canvassing procedures under certain conditions, would prohibit individuals employed by certain political groups from serving as election officials, and would add new penalties, including categorizing certain actions as election fraud.
I am vetoing this bill in its entirety for several reasons. First, I object to delegating important election authority and responsibilities to retirement home and residential care facility employees who have minimal training in election procedures, and doing so without those employees having the benefit of supervision by an election official.
Second, I object to creating any additional barriers that may prevent eligible Wisconsinites from casting their ballot and having their vote counted, including prohibiting clerks from fixing small, technical errors like making sure an address includes the ZIP code. The purpose of the additional information required on the ballot certificate is to be able to ensure the identity of the voter and witness and to be able to locate the individuals if there is a legitimate concern or question; not to be able to invalidate a person's vote based on a minor mistake. This bill would effectively require all ballots with even the most inconsequential mistakes to be discarded unless the clerk is able to return these ballots for timely correction, increasing the likelihood that an eligible Wisconsin voter may be disenfranchised and prevented from participating in our democracy.
_____________
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 572 in its entirety.
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