(The Center Square) – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a set of four bills dubbed the red tape reset on Friday that would have cut down on the 165,000 restrictions currently in state law.
The set of bills include regulatory sunsetting, regulatory budgeting, a one rule per scope statement and a proposal challenging the validity of administrative rules.
Evers said that he vetoed the bills because he feels like it is an attempt by the Legislature to encroach on administrative rulemaking.
“Further, I also object to the Legislature making state government less efficient, less effective, and less responsive to the people of Wisconsin,” Evers wrote. “Ironically, for a Legislature fraught over purportedconcerns of inefficiency, regulations, and any “growth” of government, the Legislature asks me to sign a bill that will do just that.”
The laws would have required that, when a new rule adds costs for businesses, families or local governments, those costs must be offset.
“People are struggling with rising costs. Instead of providing relief, the Governor chose to protect bureaucracy,” Sen. Julian Bradley, R-New Berlin, said about the vetoes. “The Red Tape Reset was about making it easier to build a home, start a business, or simply get ahead. Today, the Governor chose to stand in the way of that progress.”
The single scope bill blocks allowing agencies to use a single scope statement to create multiple regulations over time.
The challenge bill would require courts to award attorney fees and costs to plaintiffs who successfully challenge unlawful administrative rules.
“This veto is telling of the Democrat approach,” Bradley said. “We can protect public safety and our state without burying Wisconsinites under layers of unnecessary red tape. I remain committed to working with my colleagues to bring accountability to our unelected bureaucrats.”
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty supported the Red Tape Reset, saying that Wisconsin is the 13th most regulated state in the country and second worst in the Midwest, trailing only Illinois.
A WILL report estimated that, with 10% less regulatory burden, Wisconsin’s gross domestic product would increase by $6.6 billion and a 40% reduction could grow the economy by as much as $68.1 billion by 2037.
“Wisconsinites are paying the price for excessive regulation every single day, at the grocery store, on their energy bills as well as the rising cost of housing and everyday goods,” WILL Policy Director Kyle Koenen said in a statement. “Instead of providing relief to Wisconsinites, Governor Evers decided that the failed status quo was the way to go. Ignoring Wisconsin’s burdensome regulatory climate is irresponsible, and it will make it harder for our state to grow and compete in the decade ahead.”
