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FACT BRIEF

Did Wisconsin's governor veto a record 126 bills in the last legislative session?

By Hope Karnopp
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YES

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers vetoed 126 bills during the 2021-22 legislative session — a record number, according to the Legislative Reference Bureau. He vetoed 20 bills during the 2019-20 session. 

Some of the measures would made voting requirements more strict, banned COVID-19 vaccine mandates and expanded the private school voucher program. 

Along with vetoing 126 bills, Evers issued 50 partial vetoes of the 2021-23 biennial budget bill passed by Wisconsin lawmakers. Evers axed an additional interchange for the Interstate-41 project, limits to security spending for Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and other measures.

Evers vetoed the most bills in one session in modern Wisconsin history, the bureau said. The next highest number of single-session vetoes was 90 by Gov. Fred Zimmerman in 1927. 

Republicans did not gain a two-thirds supermajority in November, which would have allowed them to override Evers' vetoes. But it's still possible if enough Democratic lawmakers are absent.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
AP News Evers vetoes Republican bills on schools, COVID-19
PBS Wisconsin Evers Signs Wisconsin's 2021-23 Budget with 50 Partial Vetoes
Wisconsin State Legislature Veto Messages
Wisconsin Public Radio Gov. Tony Evers vetoed these bills. They could be reconsidered if Tim Michels is elected governor
Wisconsin State Legislature Governor's Veto Message: Assembly Bill 68
Wisconsin State Journal Short of an outright supermajority, Republicans could still override Gov. Tony Evers
DocumentCloud Bills Enacted and Bills Vetoed: Legislative Reference Bureau
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.