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Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022

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


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.

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