Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) is facing possible legal action after using a partial veto last week to increase funding for public schools for the next 402 years
While the maneuver is within the limits of Wisconsin law, which allocates a large amount of power to the governor, a nonprofit law firm is considering suing Evers, calling the move "inherently undemocratic."
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The original budget, which passed the Republican-controlled legislature, offered $325 in spending per child for the school years "2023-24" and "2024-25." However, Evers struck the "24" from the first school year in the second range, the "20" in the second, and the hyphen between 2024 and 25. The result was for the budget to promise $325 in funding per child from 2023 until the year 2425.
Lucas Vebber, deputy counsel for the Wisconsin Institute of Law & Liberty, told Fox News on Tuesday that it is not clear whether Evers's veto will hold up in court.
"We call it the ‘Vanna White’ veto where the governor gets rid of individual letters and words to create new words," Vebber said. He noted that those vetoes were barred in 2000.
"Legal action is possible. That's something that we're looking at," Vebber continued. "I'm sure others are looking at it as well."
Vebber said that, even if Evers's veto remains in effect, spending will equate to more than $130,000 per student in 400 years, which is more than Wisconsin currently spends.
"Here you have the people who elected the legislature and are represented here in Wisconsin, in the Senate Assembly to write laws, have written a law they intended," he said. "The governor's veto makes it something completely different."
"The taxpayers of Wisconsin are on the hook for significant spending increases over the next 400 years," the deputy counsel added.
Both parties in Wisconsin have used partial veto tactics over the year, which led to a state constitutional amendment that limited what a governor could veto.
"Here in Wisconsin, our governors have very broad line-item veto powers," Vebber said. "It's the most powerful veto pen in the country."
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Vebber said amending the state constitution again could be a possible action to curb Evers's and future governors' veto power. However, in Wisconsin, two consecutive legislatures need to adopt the amendment and then send it to a referendum for the state's residents to vote on.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Evers for comment.