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The Daily Cardinal Est. 1892
Friday, September 26, 2025

Assembly moves to cross out line-item veto

The state Assembly voted in favor of banning the ""Frankenstein Veto"" in a 71-25 vote Thursday. The veto is a line-item veto that allows the governor to cross out words and parts of sentences of proposed bills, which critics have said allows him to unfairly create new laws.  

 

If the state Senate also approves the resolution, Wisconsinites will vote on the issue in a state referendum. If approved there, it will become part of the state Constitution.  

 

State Rep. Mark Gundrum, R-New Berlin, said in a statement that the veto gives Gov. Jim Doyle ""the most powerful veto pen in the country."" 

 

""The Frankenstein Veto has made a mockery of our budgeting process,"" said state Sen. Shelia Harsdorf, R-River Falls, in a statement. ""I am hopeful that Senate Democrat leadership will move forward on this common-sense, straight-forward reform in a timely fashion.""  

 

Gundrum said other vetoes have also been revoked in the past, including 1990's amendment to eliminate the ""Vanna White"" veto, which allowed governors to cross out individual letters to create new words.

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