Dane County Judge Rules Governor Evers Appropriately Used Partial Veto on Reading Bill

Thursday, August 29th, 2024 -- 12:01 PM

(Corrinne Hess, Wisconsin Public Radio) A Dane County judge ruled Tuesday Gov. Tony Evers appropriately used his partial veto authority when he cut parts from the reading bill, a move Republicans called unconstitutional. 

According to Corrinne Hess with Wisconsin Public Radio, in the same ruling, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Stephen Elhke rejected a request by the state Department of Public Instruction to release $50 million to fund the sweeping reading legislation.

Evers immediately filed a notice of appeal, saying he’s glad the court upheld the constitutional line-item veto, but he “wholeheartedly disagrees” with allowing Republican lawmakers to continue obstructing the release of the $50 million already approved.

“With kids, families and educators returning back to school, our kids and schools desperately need these critical investments to help improve our kids reading and literacy outcomes,” Evers posted on X.

The reading bill included spending $50 million to create a new literacy office, hire reading coaches and shift away from what has been known as “balanced literacy” to a “science of reading” approach. Attorneys representing the GOP could not immediately be reached for comment.

The bipartisan reading bill, known as Act 20, is scheduled to be implemented in the 2024-25 school year. Students will now be taught to read with an emphasis on phonics with the hope of addressing the state’s lagging reading scores.

Fewer than 40 percent of third graders were proficient in reading on the most recent Wisconsin Forward Exam. Wisconsin’s achievement gap between Black and white fourth grade students in reading has often been the worst in the nation.

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