Wisconsin Supreme Court Says State Budget Committee Can't Legally Block Conservation Projects

Monday, July 8th, 2024 -- 11:01 AM

(AP) The Wisconsin Legislature’s Republican-controlled budget committee can’t legally block conservation projects initiated by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ administration, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The decision marks a victory for Evers, whose relationship with Republican lawmakers has deteriorated since he took office in 2019, as well as for environmentalists across the state.

The court ruled 6-1 that provisions that require the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) to unilaterally block projects and land acquisitions funded with money from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program violate the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches.

The Legislature gave the executive branch the power to distribute stewardship money when it established the program, Justice Rebecca Bradley wrote in the majority opinion.

Once that power was conferred, lawmakers lacked authority to reject decisions on how to spend the money short of rewriting spending laws, she wrote. The court noted that the law allows the JFC to block funds indefinitely.

The law allows any member to halt the release of expenditures until the JFC holds a meeting to review the program, but the law doesn’t set a deadline to hold a meeting.

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