Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers used his veto powers to make an ever-so-slight alteration to a state budgeting bill that would ensure an improved investment in per-student spending for the next four years. And he did this wielding one of the most uniquely powerful tools available to policymakers: a punctuation mark, or in this case, the removal of one.
Specifically, he removed a hyphen, and the following words in red, subtly shifting the increase from applying to the "2023-24 and 24-25 school year" to applying to the "2023-2425" calendar.
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Evers crafted the four-century school aid extension by striking a hyphen and a "20" from a reference to the 2024-25 school year. The increase of $325 per student is the highest single-year increase in revenue limits in state history.
The veto was one of more than four dozen the Democratic governor made to reshape the $99 billion two-year state budget Republicans passed last week. Among the vetoes was the majority of the centerpiece of Republican lawmakers' budget plan: a $3.5 billion tax cut that focused relief for the state's wealthiest residents.
This is what happens when you elect public school teachers to office.
Tony Evers uses veto powers to extend annual increases for public schools for the next four centuries [Molly Beck and Jessie Opoien / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
