RightWisconsin

While Republicans in the state legislature debate behind the scenes whether to try to override some of Governor Tony Evers' partial vetoes of the state budget, a conservative legal organization is attempting a different tactic to limit the changes made by the governor.

The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) is asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to review whether four of Evers' vetoes were constitutional. According to WILL, the vetoes go beyond the powers reserved for the executive branch when they actually changed public policy and the intent of the appropriations by the Republican-controlled legislature.

“The governor’s veto power has been used creatively, and sometimes absurdly, by governors of both parties," said Rick Esenberg, the President and General Counsel for WILL, in a statement on Wednesday. "But the partial veto cannot act as a magic wand, creating new laws out of whole cloth. Governor Evers’ partial vetoes go beyond the acceptable scope of this power, and WILL is asking the Court to review and rein in the partial veto power to safeguard liberty and defend the Constitution.”

The four vetoes in question are:

* A partial veto turned what was a grant program to replace school buses into funding of up to $10 million for electric vehicle charging stations.* A partial veto altered funds to local government for improving local roads into a virtually unrestricted fund.* A partial veto altered uniform vehicle registration fees for trucks.* A partial veto expanded the definition of “vapor products” and may have altered tax and regulatory authority.

The vetoes questioned in the lawsuit do not include Evers' veto that led to an additional increase in school funding of over $84 million. That veto prompted state Sen. Dave Craig (R-Vernon) and state Rep. Mike Kuglitsch (R-New Berlin) to propose an amendment to the state constitution to prevent similar vetoes that increase spending.

However, Esenberg explained at a press conference on Wednesday that there are concerns about the amount of power being accumulated in the executive branch if the four vetoes listed above went unchallenged.

"What's happened in the partial veto is the governor has not simply approved or disapproved what has been passed by the legislature," Esenberg said. "But, over the years, various governors have taken it upon themselves to transform the law."

Esenberg compared Evers' use of the veto to past governors whose use of the veto power prompted action to limit the governor's veto power.

"Here we have what I might call a 'magician's veto," Esenberg said. "In which appropriation items that have been passed by the legislature had been transformed magically into something else through the clever use of a veto pen."

On this episode of RightWisconsin Conversations, Will Flanders of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) and Corey DeAngelis of the Cato Institute join editor James Wigderson to talk about the education marketplace in Milwaukee. How is it working, how can it be improved, and what are some of the myths about school choice?

Flanders and DeAngelis spoke with Wigderson before the WILL luncheon presentation of their latest research at the University Club in Milwaukee.

This week's episode was sponsored by Wisconsin Right to Life.

If you're interested in sponsoring future episodes of RightWisconsin Conversations, email us: business - at - RightWisconsin.com.

Steve Toft, the Republican candidate in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District, is the guest on this week's episode of RightWisconsin Conversations. Toft talks about his career in the military, farming, life in Osseo, and why he is running against Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI3). Toft also talks about health care, the VA system, term limits, and why the Trump tax cuts are working for Wisconsin.

This week on RightWisconsin Conversations, Barb Dittrich, a Republican running in the 38th Assembly District, talks about running for public office. Why would someone who works with families with special needs children entering the world of politics? What issues are important to her? Why is Obamacare failing her family? And how did Dittrich become pro-life, and why is the issue personal to her?

This week on RightWisconsin Conversations, Bryan Steil, a Republican candidate in the 1st Congressional District joins RightWisconsin Editor James Wigderson to discuss the importance of keeping college affordable by controlling costs. Steil also talks about what the Board of Regents did to protect free speech on University of Wisconsin campuses.

Steil also discusses Democratic plans to abolish the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the impact of the tax cuts on Wisconsin.

 

This week on RightWisconsin Conversations, Appeals Court Judge Brian Hagedorn joins Editor James Wigderson to discuss a possible run for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Before being appointed to Appeals Court II by Governor Scott Walker, Hagedorn served as Walker's chief legal counsel.

Hagedorn explains his judicial philosophy and what he sees as the role of the court. Hagedorn and Wigderson also discuss the significance of running to replace Justice Shirley Abrahamson who is retiring in 2019. They also discuss how Hagedorn's experience working for Walker during the Act 10 protests has prepared him for a statewide campaign.

Finally, Hagedorn explains what needs to be different in the next campaign for the Supreme Court, and how soon he might announce his candidacy.

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Click here to listen on iTunes or catch up on past interviews. Or, better yet, subscribe to the RightWisconsin Conversations podcast so you don't miss a single episode.

Julaine Appling of Wisconsin Family Action joined RightWisconsin Editor James Wigderson to discuss the Family Prosperity Index, Wisconsin's #17 ranking, and the importance of the family in improving Wisconsin's economy in the long term. How can we make America great again? One family at a time, Appling says.

 

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Julaine Appling, the President of Wisconsin Family Action, joined RightWisconsin Editor James Wigderson for an episode of RightWisconsin Conversations that will be posted on Wednesday regarding Wisconsin's #17 ranking in The Family Prosperity Index.

But afterward, Appling and Wigderson spoke about the news that broke concerning the U.S. Supreme Court's 7-2 ruling in favor of a Colorado baker who faced the wrath of the state because he dared to raise a religious objection to baking a wedding cake for a same-sex wedding ceremony.

"I am excited to see that the Supreme Court, on a very solid decision, 7 to 2, determined that, yeah, religious liberty sill matters in this country," Appling said.

The interview about the Supreme Court decision can be heard by clicking the podcast link above or on iTunes. The whole interview with Appling will be posted on RightWisconsin on Wednesday.

Rohn Bishop, Chairman of the Fond Du Lac County Republican Party, joins RightWisconsin Editor James Wigderson to talk about this weekend's Republican Party of Wisconsin annual convention in Milwaukee. Bishop talks about what happened at the Rules Committee Meeting, what he is hearing from his fellow Republicans about the GOP Senate Primary, and why state Sen. Leah Vukmir (R-Brookfield) is likely to win the party's endorsement. Bishop also talks about who the delegates are and what first-time attendees of a Republican state convention can experience.

Travis Hartwig is running as a Republican for state treasurer, an office that should not even exist. Hartwig explains why he's running despite voting against keeping the office. Hartwig says he's going to work with the state legislature to turn a job with no real responsibilities into an actual full-time job. Despite the pay cut that Hartwig would have to take by moving from the private sector to public office, he's willing to take a chance on finding a purpose for the state treasurer position.

Travis Hartwig (Left) being interviewed by RightWisconsin Editor James Wigderson