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,

Office of the Governor

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,

Office of the Governor

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.