Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds Tony Evers’ 400-Year School Funding Veto

MADISON — In a narrow 4-3 decision, the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld a contentious partial veto by Governor Tony Evers that effectively extends school funding increases for the next four centuries. The ruling came in response to a legal challenge brought by two taxpayers who argued that the governor’s action—altering a key date in the 2023-25 state budget—violated the Wisconsin Constitution. The Legislature’s original plan allowed for a $325 per-student funding increase for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years. However, Evers used his line-item veto authority to modify the end date by removing the “20” and a dash in “2024-25,” resulting in a new expiration year: 2425.

Following the court’s decision, Gov. Evers released the following statement:

PRESS RELEASE

Gov. Tony Evers today released a statement regarding the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision in LeMieux v. Evers, upholding the governor’s partial line-item veto in the 2023-25 budget that provided Wisconsin schools districts with continued, additive per pupil revenue adjustments of $325 every year through 2425:

“Doing what’s best for our kids is what’s best for our state, and I will never stop fighting to do more for our kids and our schools.

“I exercised the same line-item veto authority that has been used by decades’ worth of Wisconsin governors, including my predecessor—a line-item veto that the Wisconsin Supreme Court, at a time when it was under Republican control, declined to review.

“This decision is great news for Wisconsin’s kids and our public schools, who deserve sustainable, dependable, and spendable state support and investment. For over a decade, the Legislature has failed to meet that important obligation. Importantly, this decision does not mean our work is done—far from it.

“At a time when millions of Wisconsinites have been forced to raise their own property taxes to help our schools keep their lights on and doors open, we cannot afford for the Legislature to once again fail our kids and schools in our next state budget. Today’s decision only further underscores the urgent need for Republican lawmakers to approve the K-12 investments I’ve proposed to ensure our kids and our schools have the resources they need now and into the future.”