Veto Override

Back in June, the Legislature passed, with my support, Assembly Bill 336, which would have restored Wisconsin's unemployment insurance benefits to pre-COVID levels by ending the state's participation in several federal supplemental programs, including PUA, PEUC, FPUC, and MEUC.  I believed then, as I believe now, that these programs act as a disincentive to work at a time when Wisconsin businesses are desperate for employees.  I don't think there's a town in the 75th Assembly District where you won't find Help Wanted signs hanging in windows.  The number of people on unemployment in Wisconsin is still almost double what it was before COVID, despite thousands of open jobs around the state.

Forbes recently reported Morning Consult poll findings that almost a third of people on unemployment in the US turned down job offers during the pandemic, with almost half of those respondents citing generous unemployment benefits for their decision.  This is unacceptable and hurts not only businesses, but also the employees they do have, their customers, and their communities.

Despite all this, Governor Evers vetoed AB 336, so the Assembly met on July 27 to attempt to override the Governor's veto, with my support.  Unfortunately, the 59-37 vote was not enough to meet the two-thirds requirement for an override.  It’s unfortunate that not one Assembly Democrat was willing to admit that the Governor’s veto was wrong for Wisconsin.  The employment crisis is a statewide problem – not a Republican or a Democrat problem – not an urban or a rural problem. 

Although the Governor’s veto stands, I will continue to work on finding solutions to end this crisis.