MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court says Republican legislators are improperly blocking conservation projects.
The 6-1 ruling Friday marks a victory for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and environmentalists. Evers maintains that the GOP-run Joint Finance Committee has too much power to kill funding for initiatives. That includes University of Wisconsin employee raises and conservation work.
Evers sued, arguing the committee’s actions violate the separation of powers doctrine. The liberal-leaning court took the case directly at Evers’ request. But it said it would consider only whether the Legislature was improperly blocking conservation work.
The court ruled Friday that statutes that require the committee to sign off on conservation projects are unconstitutional.