Senate votes to overturn 9 Evers vetoes. But it's not likely the Assembly will do the same
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MADISON - Senate Republicans on Tuesday voted to override nine vetoes issued by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in recent months in a floor session that became raucous at times, breaking out into arguments over sending funding to areas where hospitals have shuttered in western Wisconsin.
GOP lawmakers voted to reverse nearly a dozen vetoes of bills addressing a range of issues from funding for so-called forever chemicals in drinking water known as PFAS, to struggling healthcare facilities in the western portion of the state, to wolf population management.
The veto overrides now head to the Republican-controlled Assembly, though the leaders have not indicated whether that house will return for a floor session to take up the measures.
Senate Republicans control two-thirds of their chamber, allowing them to override the vetoes without Democratic votes. Assembly Republicans do not control as large of a majority of their house, making the prospect of success elusive as Democrats would have to join them in overriding the leader of their party.
Tuesday's hours-long session to discuss the vetoes highlighted the divide between the two parties.
After the session ended abruptly, Democrats expressed their displeasure with Republican leaders barring them from speaking on the final veto on a bill that would have provided funding to hospitals in western Wisconsin.
At one point, Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, threw a stack of papers into the air after Senate President Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, refused to let him speak.
Sen. Jeff Smith, D-Brunswick, who represents some of the area impacted by the hospital closures, said in a news conference after the session that he was never spoken to about the health care bill before it was introduced by Republicans. The health care bill would have sent the $15 million already set aside for health care in the budget to areas in the western portion of the state.
Smith said $15 million for the health care bill could be released to the area tomorrow if the GOP-controlled Joint Finance Committee would vote on it.
"I am just so upset and livid that they're gambling with people's lives, literally, gambling with people's health care in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls and all the western region," he said.
Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostberg told WisPolitics after the session Tuesday that debate was ended early so a GOP member could catch a flight.
The Senate also took up a vote on Evers' veto of a bill that gave a framework for the spending of a $125 million "PFAS trust fund" established in the state budget.
The governor in April vetoed the Republican legislation that would have created programs to use the PFAS funding, citing the limitations the legislation placed on the Department of Natural Resources to act and the innocent landowners clause included in the bill that Evers said could be used to protect polluters.
Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Irma, on Tuesday highlighted the Town of Stella within her district, where residents are facing some of the highest numbers of PFAS contamination in the state in their private wells. Some residents are struggling with the decision to eat vegetables grown in their yard or cows raised on their land and watered from their private well.
She blasted Democrats for their lack of support for the bill and the governor for the veto.
"They're caught up in a political chess game, that's what I'm telling my constituents," she said. "That's the reality and that's the game you're playing with people's lives. And you know it."
Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, likened the debate over the bill to dealing with his children. Sometimes, he pretends he can't reach the snacks or unlock the phone for more screen time — like the Joint Finance Committee is doing when they refuse to release the PFAS funding, he said.
"Unfortunately we're not kids, the public sees the game being played. We're not going to fall for it," he said.
"Once this effort fails, I would hope that JFC would find some time to get together to release and spend this $125 million and not let it languish. I hope fingers stop being pointed at each other."
Evers has repeatedly called for a special meeting of the Joint Finance Committee to release the funding for health care and PFAS, but Republicans have refused, saying the governor does not hold the power to force them to meet.
Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, one of the chairmen of the finance committee, said Tuesday the committee can't release the money because it would be essentially ignoring the governor's veto to the bill spending the money.
Evers has previously suggested he may file a lawsuit against Republicans if they continue to hold the PFAS funding hostage, but so far has not. He did file a lawsuit regarding funding that has been held up by Republicans that would address literacy issues in K-12 schools.
Also included in today's vote was a bill that would establish a statewide wolf population goal without guidance from the Department of Natural Resources, a bill that would set up post-election audits and a bill that would disburse funding for hospital emergency department services.
More: Tony Evers took action on a host of election related bills. Here's what he signed and vetoed
Molly Beck of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.
Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X at @SchulteLaura.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Senate overturns 9 Tony. Evers vetoes, including PFAS
