AB 39 would have required state employees to return to work at the physical location of their agency. State agencies have failed to disclose how many of their employees work remotely. With a lack of clear management plans for remote employees, state agencies are left unchecked. Bringing state employees back to in-person work improves accountability, transparency, and productivity. State government should not be permanently remote. Wisconsinites deserve real people in real offices providing real service. Wisconsin deserves better.

This bill would have required a convicted sex trafficker to pay restitution to victims immediately upon sentencing. Previously, courts had discretion to allow restitution be paid in installments or within a specified time. This bill would have eliminated that discretion, ensuring sex trafficking victims could claim their restitution quickly without delay. These immediate funds are crucial for victims to help pay for much needed services and treatments following the trauma of trafficking. Additionally, the bill would have barred convicted felons from voting until they have paid all fines, fees, and restitution and have completed all required community service associated with their sentence. Supporting criminals rather than victims, Governor Evers vetoed this bill. Once again, the Evers Administration denied rights to victims and upheld protections for criminals. Wisconsin deserves better.

This legislation would have required the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) to recommend revoking an individual’s extended supervision, parole, or probation if the person is charged with a crime while on release. Under current state law, in order for a judge to hear a revocation case, the DOC must first recommend revocation for the individual charged with a new crime. However, due to soft-on-crime polices, some agents at the DOC choose not to issue a revocation recommendation, meaning that the case cannot be heard by a judge. This bill would have removed the DOC’s discretion in these situations, ultimately forcing a revocation hearing with a judge. Unfortunately, Governor Evers, upholding weak criminal policy and allowing habitual offenders to continue to reoffend, vetoed this bill aimed at enhancing public safety in our communities.

This bill was designed to protect Wisconsin’s farmland and uphold the original purpose of the farmland preservation tax credit. This legislation ensured that taxpayer dollars would be used exclusively for agricultural purposes—the intended goal of the credit—and not diverted to subsidize large, corporate wind and solar projects, which remove farmland from production. By no means would this legislation have restricted farmers from using renewable energy to power their own agricultural operations. Simply, it would have ensured Wisconsin tax dollars would be used to support our farmland, not incentivize its loss. Governor Evers, siding with large corporations, vetoed this commonsense legislation and failed our dedicated farmers.

Under this bill, a prosecutor would be obligated to obtain the approval of the court before dismissing or amending charges in serious cases, including domestic violence, sexual assault, crimes against children, and other offenses. Preventing offenders from escaping accountability and justice, this legislation would have also prohibited prosecutors from deferring prosecution for these crimes. By requiring judicial oversight, these measures would have improved transparency, ensured consistency in the judicial process, and reduced recidivism by closing the revolving door that allows habitual offenders to continuously commit the same crimes. Most importantly, this bill would have provided stronger protections for vulnerable individuals and victims of heinous crimes. Unfortunately, Governor Evers, working against victims and supporting our faulty justice system, vetoed this legislation designed to make our communities safer.

This piece of legislation sought to make changes to the state’s unemployment insurance program to eliminate “ghosting,” a practice in which an employer contacts a prospective employee for an interview, only to have that individual either not reply or fail to appear for the interview. This makes it extremely difficult for employers to find capable workers and wastes businesses’ valuable time and resources. It also defrauds the unemployment system, which struggling Wisconsinites rely upon to keep their families fed and their bills paid. Tony Evers vetoed this practical measure designed to prevent the fraud, waste, and abuse of Wisconsin taxpayer dollars. Wisconsin deserves better.

This bill was designed to establish and protect a list of fundamental parental and guardian rights relating to a child's religion, medical care, records, and education, and it creates a civil cause of action for a violation of these rights. This legislation empowers families by affording parents the necessary freedoms to make decisions about how to raise their children, while still preserving appropriate protections. Governor Evers vetoed this bill. Even though he claims that “parents are the first and best teachers our kids have,” his veto makes it clear that he does not believe parents are deserving of these fundamental protections. Wisconsin parents deserve better.

This bill would have standardized the distance at which election observers may be stationed relative to election-related activity. Current law specifies that an election official must designate an observation area that is not less than three feet from nor more than eight from where voters check in and register. Under this bill, the designated observation area must be no more than three feet away. Additionally, election officials would be required to provide observers uniform, transparent access to the entire election process. This bill provides a penalty for violations of these provisions. Governor Evers vetoed this bill, claiming it would allow election observers to “interfere with or intimidate eligible voters.” In reality, these practical measures would have ensured public oversight in the election process and introduced uniform standards for our observers—who notably have caught real procedural mistakes in the past. Instead, the Governor dismissed these measures as intimidation tactics, rather than a real attempt to enhance election security and transparency. Wisconsin deserves better.

This bill would have eliminated a loophole in state election law that permits almost anyone to qualify as indefinitely confined, a status which permits an individual who is restricted because of age, physical illness, infirmity, or disability to vote absentee without submitting voter identification. This legislation would have introduced new provisions to ensure this status is limited only to individuals who truly qualify and would have required these individuals to submit valid identification. Governor Evers vetoed this bill, allowing this loophole to remain intact and paving the way for future abuse.