Governor Evers can’t say why he vetoed bill

We have been critical of the Wisconsin Legislature’s habit of putting off votes on important bills until the last day of the legislative session. We see it in each session of the legislature. On the final day, they scurry to vote on dozens of bills, with little time for debate, and likely without even having read the full text of the bills they are voting on. Now it seems Governor Tony Evers is guilty of not giving due attention to some bills which did pass the Legislature. Evers signed 60 bills approved by the Legislature into law last week, while vetoing two others. One of the bills Evers vetoed would have legalized raffles using a paddlewheel. Such fundraisers, often meat raffles, are routinely conducted by sportsman groups, or at local VFW’s. Although rarely enforced, such raffles are currently illegal in Wisconsin. The bill passed the Legislature unanimously. When asked why he vetoed the bill, Evers paused and then said “You caught me.” He couldn’t off the top of his head provide a reason for vetoing the bill, which makes us wonder how much time he spent reviewing the bill before deciding to veto it. Unlike the Legislature, which must act by the end of its session, the Governor can take all the time he needs to decide whether to sign a bill into law or veto it. Evers should slow down the process, and make sure each bill passed by the Legislature gets his due attention before he breaks out his veto pen.