Evers Blasts GOP Legislators On Anti-Voter Bills Before Vetoes

Tuesday, Gov. Tony Evers took to the rotunda of the state Capitol to publicly sign his vetoes on six election bills passed by the Legislature’s Republican majority to make it more difficult to vote.

The bills are a reminder of “how precious our democracy is and how quickly it can be taken away,” Evers said. “That’s why we will continue working to protect the right of every eligible voter to cast their ballot, and to make sure it is easy and accessible for them to do that. And that includes using my veto pen to veto these bills before me today.”

He put his objections to the bills in the context of the national push Republican leaders have instigated to overturn the results of a fair, secure and free presidential election that put President Joe Biden in the White House, accusing the Republicans of being “sore losers” and trying to stack the deck for the next election because they lost in 2020.

“In many ways, Wisconsin has been at the forefront of the National Republican efforts to override the will of the people,” Evers told the assembled crowd. “And now, politicians and states across the country are abusing their power to try and overturn the election [and] trying to stack the deck, so that they get the results they want next time. They’re trying to make it harder for every eligible person to cast a ballot.”

He continued: “Wisconsin has long been a laboratory of democracy. But in recent years, we are used as a petri dish for a Republican plan to undermine that democracy. Well, not anymore. Not today. Not as long as I’m governor of the great state of Wisconsin.”

Shortly after the ceremony, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos responded with a statement: “The governor is making another momentous mistake with his veto pen. While he claims these bills are ‘anti-democracy,’ his actions speak louder than words. He is satisfied with the status quo and refusing to improve future elections. These bills closed loopholes, standardized procedures, established uniformity, guaranteed only the voter can correct their own ballot and protected votes of seniors in long-term care. I am very disappointed Governor Evers refuses to do the right thing.”

The vetoed bills are among the key bills that the GOP has been pushing since January that would impose new voting restrictions. There has been tremendous pushback from disability rights groups, fair election advocates, a coalition of advocacy groups that includes Common Cause Wisconsin and Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and others against the bills.
The only other speaker at the veto signing was Jenny Neugart, head of the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities, which is a member of the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition.

“Voting rights are the cornerstone of our democracy. We shouldn’t have to fight to have equal and easy access to the fundamental right to vote that gives us all a say in our government,” said Neugart. “Most troubling is the punitive nature of many of these bills, that’s causing concern that caregivers and neighbors can’t or won’t be able to help people with disabilities vote.”

Many of the bills target absentee voting, which Neugart called “a lifeline for people with disabilities” due to barriers with transportation and technology, as well as unpredictable medical conditions. She cited a statistic from the American Association of People with Disabilities, that 23% of the Nov. 2020 electorate “were individuals with some type of disability, including disabilities acquired through aging,” a number she noted is rising in Wisconsin.

Evers had already indicated he would veto any bills making voting more difficult, which Democrats have strongly opposed. Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison), who stood next to the governor during his announcement, has called the legislation “a pile of bills built on conspiracy theories and lies.”

At the veto ceremony, Evers also addressed the two election so-called audits and investigations that have been launched by Vos and Assembly elections chair Rep. Janel Brandtjen (R-Menomonee Falls). He said they are trying to relitigate something that has already been litigated hundreds, if not thousands, of times across the country, and he cast doubt on the legality of the subpoenas.

The morning headlines delivered to your inbox. Subscribe.

“Republican legislators started stirring the pot [so] their constituents are going to say, ‘Well what’s up with that?’” Evers said. “And so now it’s time for those that have stirred the pot to say, ‘There’s nothing there.’ We’ve seen it happen — obviously they’re not going to do this.”

Evers noted that after his close election with former Gov. Scott Walker, Walker conceded. And Republicans should finally do the same for President Joe Biden.

“There’s been all sorts of opportunities for people to say, ‘I was wrong. Let’s move on,’” he said. “But apparently it’s too important to jazz things up for the next election. That’s really unfortunate for the people of this state. And that’s why I’m so happy to veto these bills.”

The Wisconsin Examiner, a nonpartisan, nonprofit news site, offers a fresh perspective on state politics and policy through investigative reporting and daily coverage dedicated to the public interest. The Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.