Overview
- Gov. Tony Evers, who vetoed Assembly Bill 602 on Monday, blocked a mandate that Wisconsin opt into a new federal voucher expansion starting in 2027 and every year after.
- The federal program created by the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act lets individuals donate up to $1,700 to scholarship groups and subtract the same amount from their federal tax bill.
- Evers said the plan redirects public money to private tuition and lacks student performance measures, school accountability rules, scholarship size limits, a sunset date, and a cap on federal spending.
- Backers, including the Wisconsin Council of Religious and Independent Schools, argued the credit lets taxpayers steer gifts to any education provider and said public schools could gain more because they enroll more students.
- The veto pauses any automatic opt-in for Wisconsin, leaving the door to a legislative override or new bill as districts weigh tight state funding caps and frequent referenda to cover rising costs.