Governor's Veto Message -- Introduction and Veteran-Related Provisions

To the Honorable Members of the Assembly:

I have approved Assembly Bill 40 as 2011 Wisconsin Act 32 and deposited it in the
Office of the Secretary of State.

This budget reflects a return to the bedrock principles of our state's constitution –
frugality and moderation.  It's a budget that is, for the first time in many years,
balanced – now and in the future – with a structural surplus of over $300 million in
the 2013-15 biennium.  It avoids relying on accounting gimmicks, fund raids and
one-time funds.  With this budget, we have begun to put our state's financial house in
order and make our finances more transparent.  And this budget is enacted before the
start of the new biennium – with the earliest signing date since 1967.

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VETERAN-RELATED COMMENTS

Ensures the solvency of the veterans trust fund over the next biennium by providing $5 million GPR in additional funding to support benefits to veterans.

Strengthens the veterans tuition remission program by expanding it to include the University of Wisconsin-Madison Executive Masters in Business Administration program, distance education, on-line and 100 percent fee funded programs, and by increasing the number of credits or semesters eligible for state tuition remissions.

Chippewa Falls Veterans Home Cost-Benefit Analysis 

Sections 234 and 9101 (2u) 

These sections require the Department of Administration to conduct a cost-benefit 

analysis on the initial contract for the operation and staffing of the Veterans Home at 

Chippewa Falls and to submit the results to the Joint Committee on Finance by 

February 1, 2012, or before the Department of Veterans Affairs enters into a contract for 

the operation of the home.  Further, the Department of Veterans Affairs is exempted 

from the current law requirement to conduct a cost-benefit analysis meeting the same 

criteria prior to entering into the contract. 

I am vetoing section 234 because I object to exempting the Department of Veterans 

Affairs from the requirement to conduct a cost-benefit analysis prior to contracting for the 

operation of the home.  Further, I am partially vetoing section 9101 (2u) requiring the 

Department of Administration to conduct a similar cost-benefit analysis because this 

requirement is unnecessary and duplicative of the Department of Veterans Affairs 

analysis. 

Veterans Trust Fund Information 

Section 9153 (2j) 

This section requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to submit as part of its 2013-15 

biennial budget request to the Department of Administration an estimate of the amount 

of revenues that will be deposited into the veterans trust fund during that biennium and 

that the total recommendation for appropriation from the trust fund is not greater than the 

amount to be deposited into the fund. 

I am partially vetoing this section to remove the requirement that the total 

recommendation for appropriation from the fund is not more than available revenue 

because it is overly limiting on the department.  It is widely understood that the veterans 

trust fund is facing financial uncertainty and to place such restrictions on the department 

does not work toward the goal of finding reliable revenue streams while maintaining 

services for Wisconsin's veteran population. 

Military Funeral Honors Funding – Technical Veto 

Sections 9253 (1j) and 9453 (1j) 

This provision provides $68,900 GPR funding in the second year of the 2009-11 

biennium to reimburse veterans service organizations that provide military funeral 

honors for veterans in this state. 

I am vetoing this provision at the request of the Legislative Reference Bureau because 

funding for this purpose has already been addressed in 2011 Wisconsin Act 27.



SCOTT WALKER,
GOVERNOR