In case you missed it, the liberal justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court just allowed Tony Evers to raise taxes for the next 400 years.
That’s not a typo.
The court ruled 4-3 on April 18, 2025, that the Democratic governor had the authority to use a partial veto in 2023 to lock in school spending increases through 2425 by deleting a hyphen and a couple of numbers.
“For the median homeowner, this is going to be a $246 increase every two years,” state Senate President Mary Felzkowski, a Republican, wrote in a press release. Despite that point, Deb Andraca (D – Whitefish Bay) used the decision to criticize Republicans, calling for more spending on schools.
Evers called the decision “great news.”
State Rep. Jim Piwowarczyk, R-Hubertus, wrote, “This decision by the Supreme Court is exactly why Representative (Scott) Allen and I introduced a constitutional amendment to restrict the governor’s veto authority. The amendment would limit the governor to vetoing an appropriation in its entirety, rather than allowing them to rewrite fiscal legislation. Now more than ever, we need to pass this constitutional amendment.” (Note: Piwowarczyk is a WRN contributor and its co-founder.)
He noted, “I am extremely disappointed that the liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court chose to uphold Governor Evers’ 400-year tax hike, enabled by his creative use of the partial line-item veto in the 2023–2025 state budget. In doing so, the Court has granted the governor free rein to rewrite bills, superseding the elected legislature. The governor can now write new laws, completely disregarding the legislature’s intent.”
“It’s disgusting, yet not at all surprising,” wrote state Rep. Barbara Dittrich, a Republican, on X.
Sen. Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) applauded the decision.
“We are acutely aware that a 400-year modification is both significant and attention-grabbing. However, our constitution does not limit the governor’s partial veto power based on how much or how little the partial vetoes change policy,” Justice Jill Karofsky wrote in the decision. Liberal justices Janet Protasiewicz, Ann Walsh Bradley, and Rebecca Dallet joined her. The conservative justices, Brian Hagedorn, Annette Ziegler, and Rebecca Bradley dissented.
In his dissent, Hagedorn accused the liberal justices of turning the executive branch into a super legislature.
“How does a bill become a law? According to the majority, one option looks like this: The legislature passes a bill in both houses and sends it to the governor. The governor then takes the collection of letters, numbers, and punctuation marks he receives from the legislature, crosses out whatever he pleases, and — presto! — out comes a new law never considered or passed by the legislature at all,” Hagedorn wrote. “And there you have it — a governor who can propose and enact law all on his own.”
Republican reaction was swift:
Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos wrote in a press release, “Is any Wisconsin citizen surprised that the liberals on the Wisconsin Supreme Court are now a rubber stamp for liberal ally Tony Evers? The Supreme Court’s partisan decision today should worry every Wisconsinite. The Governor can now raise property taxes – unchecked by any other branch of government – for hundreds of years.”
Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) responded, “Today’s ruling cemented Evers’ actions to increase property taxes across Wisconsin for the next 400 years. For the median homeowner, this is going to be a $246 increase every two years. To think that the State can backfill these dollars for the next 400 years is wildly unrealistic and would be fiscally unsustainable.”
Jake Curtis, general counsel for the Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) said: “The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s liberal majority is demonstrating just how reckless it will be with Wisconsinites’ taxpayer dollars and constitutional freedoms. By allowing Gov. Evers to unilaterally increase funding for 400 years, the Wisconsin Supreme Court is not only giving a blank check to bureaucrats, but empowering Gov. Evers and future governors to wholesale rewrite laws passed by the State Legislature.”
Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August (R-Walworth) said, “Yet again we see the liberal majority on the Supreme Court legislating from the bench to the peril of all Wisconsin property taxpayers. Last budget cycle, Republicans gave a generous increase in education funding to our public schools over the two-year biennium. Despite a $1 billion increase in new funding, Governor Evers abused his veto pen to completely change legislative intent of the budget bill, resulting in a massive increase to property taxes over the next 400 years.”
“Once again, our liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court continues to act as the second legislative body in our state,” said Representative Alex Dallman. “Instead of upholding the Constitution, liberal justices decided today to maintain Governor Evers’ increase in property taxes for hardworking Wisconsinites for the next four centuries.”
State Representative Brent Jacobson (R – Mosinee) made the following statement:
“Wisconsin cannot afford to have an executive branch which exercises its authority so recklessly. I am beyond disappointed in our Supreme Court for endorsing such an irresponsible use of gubernatorial power. This decision places the separation of powers in our State Government in jeopardy, and enshrines a blatant overreach that saddles untold generations of Wisconsinites with higher property taxes.”
