2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-0312/1
MPG:amn
2025 ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTION 8
February 17, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives ALLEN, PIWOWARCZYK, BEHNKE,
BRILL, DITTRICH, GUNDRUM, HURD, KNODL, KREIBICH, MAXEY, MURPHY,
MURSAU, O'CONNOR, PENTERMAN and WICHGERS, cosponsored by Senators
TOMCZYK, BRADLEY and NASS. Referred to Committee on State Affairs.
***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
To amend section 10 (1) (c) of article V of the constitution; relating to: restricting
the governor[s partial veto authority to only rejecting entire bill sections of an
appropriation bill that are capable of separate enactment and reducing
appropriations in a bill (first consideration).
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This proposed constitutional amendment, proposed to the 2025 legislature on
first consideration, amends the Wisconsin Constitution to restrict the governor, in
exercising his or her partial veto power over an appropriation bill, to only rejecting
one or more entire bill sections of the enrolled bill capable of separate enactment as
a complete, entire, and workable law and reducing appropriations in the enrolled
bill. The governor may not partially veto an enrolled bill in any other way.
Currently, in exercising the partial veto power, the governor is limited only in
that he or she may not create a new word by rejecting individual letters in the words
of the enrolled bill and may not create a new sentence by combining parts of two or
more sentences of the enrolled bill. In Bartlett v. Evers, 2020 WI 68, the Wisconsin
Supreme Court further restricted the governor[s partial veto power, but there was
no agreement by the court on the reasons for the new restrictions. The new
restriction on the governor[s partial veto power contained in this resolution
subsumes and expands on the current restrictions in the constitution.
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4 2025 - 2026 Legislature - 2 - LRB-0312/1
MPG:amn
A proposed constitutional amendment requires adoption by two successive
legislatures, and ratification by the people, before it can become effective.
Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That:
SECTION 1. Section 10 (1) (c) of article V of the constitution is amended to
read:
[Article V] Section 10 (1) (c) In approving an appropriation bill in part, the
governor may not create a new word by rejecting individual letters in the words of
the enrolled bill, and may not create a new sentence by combining parts of 2 or more
sentences only reject one or more entire bill sections of the enrolled bill capable of
separate enactment as a complete, entire, and workable law and reduce
appropriations in the enrolled bill.
Be it further resolved, That this proposed amendment be referred to the
legislature to be chosen at the next general election and that it be published for 3
months previous to the time of holding such election.
(END)
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