MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Wisconsin has faced political gridlock the past four years, including Gov. Tony Evers vetoing more bills in the last two-year legislative session than any other governor in state history.
Democrats warn that veto power is at stake Tuesday with Republicans in range to take a legislative super majority.
If Tim Michels unseats Evers, the path will be clear in Madison for a conservative agenda. However, even if Evers wins re-election, Republicans have an alternate route to ending the roadblocks Evers has put before them the past four years.
If Republicans hold the seats they currently have, they would need to flip one in the Senate and five in the Assembly to gain two-thirds in both chambers and the ability to override vetoes.
“I think that is quite frankly terrifying that you could have one party control in the capitol building to that level,” said State Sen. Melissa Agard, D-Madison.
Agard points out Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has already said the more than 100 bills vetoed by Evers will be the first bills to come back through the legislature next session.
“Those bills made voting in Wisconsin harder for folks, those bills had a direct impact on reproductive freedoms in the state of Wisconsin. Those bills also directly would have impacted public safety in Wisconsin when it comes to access to guns on school grounds for example.”
“The package of bills that relate to elections, relating to the audit that was done, I think those come back fairly quickly, maybe with some exceptions,” said State Sen. Rob Cowles, R-Green Bay. “Those might even come if Evers is re-elected.”
Cowles says many vetoed bills will likely be brought back regardless of who wins the governor race.
He says if Evers wins, he’ll have to negotiate to get things done.
“He won’t be able to pass tax increases like he tried to do in the two previous budgets, he won’t be able to get some of his policy items done. He had a number of items in the previous budgets and those were all stripped out.”
Democrats were the last to have a supermajority in both chambers in Wisconsin. That was back in 1977.
