Evers vetoes 9 bills, including block on illlegal BadgerCare enrollment

Evers vetoes 9 bills, including block on illlegal BadgerCare enrollment

Spread the love

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed nine bills Friday, including a much-debated bill that would prevent tax money from going toward the health care of undocumented immigrants.

The bill had passed the Senate 21-12 and the Assembly 51-44 with bill sponsors saying it was aimed at preventing those who are unlawfully present in the country from receiving BadgerCare benefits.

Evers pointed to legislative debate on Assembly Bill 308 where a co-author stated that undocumented immigrants already cannot enroll in BadgerCare.

“I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to Republican lawmakers passing legislation they acknowledge is unnecessary to prevent problems they admit do not exist, all for the sake of trying to push polarizing political rhetoric,” Evers wrote in his veto message.

Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, was removed from the Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs after a dispute about the bill when Carpenter reached for the gavel of Committee Chair Sen. Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield.

Evers also vetoed bills regarding student teaching requirements, disputes with the Elections Commission, military recruiting access to schools, building codes, emotional support animals, the state smoking ban in tobacco bars, data from University of Wisconsin system schools and a ban on local guaranteed income programs.

“I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to burdening institutions of higher education in Wisconsin with additional administrative requirements, most especially when the Wisconsin State Legislature imposes such mandates without providing the necessary resources to successfully implement those requirements,” Evers wrote in vetoing Assembly Bill 166. “Further, many of the mandated reporting as required under this bill will, according to the University of Wisconsin System, ‘overlap substantially’ with existing information that is already available and submitted to the federal government.”

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Fitzpatrick says pro-union bill dealing with contracts will pass U.S. House

Fitzpatrick says pro-union bill dealing with contracts will pass U.S. House

By John ColeThe Center Square During a speech to the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters Convention in Hershey last week, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1st District, guaranteed its members that a...
Feds investigate LA schools for sexual misconduct allegations

Feds investigate LA schools for sexual misconduct allegations

By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square The U.S. Department of Education has opened a Title IX investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District over sexual misconduct allegations. The department contends...
Advocates criticize bipartisan housing bill

Advocates criticize bipartisan housing bill

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Advocates warned the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act could create affordability concerns, and reduce competition in the marketplace. In March, the U.S. Senate...
Johnson, municipal leaders statewide clash with Pritzker over local funding cuts

Johnson, municipal leaders statewide clash with Pritzker over local funding cuts

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Mayors and municipalities across Illinois have called on Gov. JB Pritzker to reverse course on local government...

WATCH: Report: Washington high schools rank near bottom in personal finance literacy

By Carleen JohnsonThe Center Square A new report finds Washington state ranks near the bottom in the nation when it comes to financial literacy education for high school students. WalletHub...
Citizen Voting Amendment may avoid partisan SAVE Act pitfalls

Citizen Voting Amendment may avoid partisan SAVE Act pitfalls

By Chris Dickerson | Legal NewslineThe Center Square Despite public support and majorities in both houses, Republicans have been unable to pass the SAVE Act because of Democratic objections in...
Democrats 'Red to Blue' targets 18 seats in 12 states in November

Democrats ‘Red to Blue’ targets 18 seats in 12 states in November

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is targeting multiple seats in Congress to take back the Democratic majority in November. Its “2026 Red to Blue”...
Illinois bill would force employers to pay employees regular wages for jury duty

Illinois bill would force employers to pay employees regular wages for jury duty

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Illinois Senate is considering legislation that would force employers to pay employees regular wages while they...
VA suicide screening doubles after watchdog found mass failures

VA suicide screening doubles after watchdog found mass failures

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has improved suicide risk screening and follow-up care among veterans in its system after a December 2024 federal watchdog...
Trump says Iran agrees to no nuclear weapon, claims deal is close

Trump says Iran agrees to no nuclear weapon, claims deal is close

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square A breakthrough deal may be on the horizon between the U.S. and Iran, according to President Donald Trump. During a Wednesday afternoon news conference in...
Beecher Baseball Bobcats

Late-Inning Surge and Dominant Relief Lift Beecher Past Bloom 12-5

The Beecher varsity baseball team secured a 12-5 non-conference road victory over Bloom on Tuesday afternoon, using a combination of late-inning offensive fireworks and a lights-out relief performance by Chasten...
Democrats call on Lutnick to resign over Epstein ties

Democrats call on Lutnick to resign over Epstein ties

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Democrats in Congress on Wednesday renewed calls for U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to resign after testifying about his ties to convicted sex offender...
Beecher Softball ladycats

Norkus Strikes Out 16 in One-Hit Masterpiece as Beecher Downs Donovan 10-1

The Beecher varsity softball team rode a dominant pitching performance by senior Taylor Norkus to a commanding 10-1 home conference victory over Donovan on Tuesday. Norkus was nearly untouchable in...
Beecher Softball ladycats

Carmela Irwin Throws One-Hitter as Beecher Offense Erupts in 18-1 Rout of Donovan

The Beecher varsity softball team unleashed a relentless offensive assault on Tuesday, capitalizing on Donovan’s defensive miscues to roll to a decisive 18-1 home conference victory in a four-inning, run-rule...
Texas congressional delegation calls for federal investigation into H-1B visa fraud

Texas congressional delegation calls for federal investigation into H-1B visa fraud

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-TX, and her north Texas colleagues have called for a federal investigation into alleged H-1B visa fraud occurring in counties...