Governor Tony Evers of Wisconsin finds success in the court as Judge Stephen Ehlke ruled in favor of Evers’ use of partial vetoes on a school literacy bill. The contentious situation revolved around two bills aimed at enhancing reading performance for K-12 students. One bill established an early literacy coaching program and grants for schools, while the other bill outlined guidelines for distributing $50 million toward literacy initiatives.
The governor’s decision to consolidate allocations into a single appropriation to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and remove grants for private schools sparked a lawsuit from Republican legislators, who claimed the changes were unconstitutional. They argued that Evers overstepped his partial veto powers as the bill did not actually distribute any money but only laid out spending guidelines.
Judge Ehlke’s ruling determined that the bill qualifies as an appropriation bill, giving the governor the authority to exercise partial vetoes. However, the $50 million earmarked for literacy programs will remain under the Legislature’s control. According to Ehlke, lawmakers appropriately allocated the funds to the finance committee, granting them discretion over its eventual release.
The Legislature’s chief counsel, Ryan Walsh, chose not to comment on the court’s decision. Neither Governor Evers’ spokesperson Britt Cudaback nor the state Justice Department representative immediately responded to requests for statements regarding the ruling.
