Will this special session be different? Probably not

They are in Madison to say no. Governor Evers wants them to say yes. The Wisconsin Legislature convenes today in a special session. They are gathering to try to override some of Governor Evers’ vetoes of their state budget proposals. We don’t yet know which of the Governor’s vetoes they hope to override, but it will be a tough sell. The Wisconsin Legislature is controlled by Republicans by a margin of 61-38, short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a gubernatorial veto. But instead of just trying to block Evers’ plans, the Governor wants them to do something productive while they are gathered in their special session. He is calling on lawmakers to approve additional spending for K-12 public schools, as well as the UW System and the Wisconsin Technical College System. He is urging them to agree to an additional $146 per student in state spending, as well as more money for special education. In recent years there have been massive cuts to education at every level. Despite increased funding for students in the last state budget, Wisconsin still ranks in about the middle of the pack among states in per pupil spending. Evers is telling lawmakers to consider his spending plan, but it is not clear they will. They have a history of calling their session to order, then immediately adjourning without taking any action. Let’s hope this session will be different, with our lawmakers at least willing to debate the ideas, instead of refusing to even consider them.