Clock is ticking for Governor Evers to sign or veto state budget

The clock is now ticking. The Wisconsin Assembly and Senate have approved a new state budget and sent it to Governor Evers for his signature. Democrat Evers didn’t get everything he wanted from the Republican Legislature, but no Governor ever does. The question is, will it be enough? Evers has some of the most powerful veto powers of any Governor, and has the ability to, should he choose, veto the entire budget. That hasn’t happened in Wisconsin since 1931, and it shouldn’t happen this year. Evers got more money for public education, more money for higher education, more money for roads and health care. And the Legislature approved a tax cut to primarily benefit the middle class. There are a number of things the budget doesn’t do which Evers had called for, including accept the federal Medicaid expansion, and clean the state’s drinking water. The budget also doesn’t allow for medical marijuana, although Republican leaders suggest they will be willing to take that up in the fall. In the end, Evers would be wise to use his partial veto powers and make some changes. But he should not veto the entire document and force the process to start all over again. Because there is no guarantee that another Republican crafted budget would fund as many of the Governor’s priorities as this budget.