By Tina L. Scott
Editor
Tomahawk’s Mary Felzkowski, who represents Merrill and surrounding areas in Wisconsin’s 12th Senate District, responded strongly last Friday to Governor Tony Ever’s March 28, 2025, veto of Assembly Bill 1.
The bill would have restored educational standards that Evers himself had previously implemented when serving as State Superintendent.
According to Felzkowski, current State Superintendent Jill Underly has implemented lower standards that make it difficult to accurately measure student achievement following pandemic-related school closures.
Senate President Felzkowski, who calls Tomahawk home, issued a pointed statement about the governor’s decision:
“Every single Wisconsinite should be floored that Governor Evers just vetoed a proposal to return Wisconsin to the very same standards that he himself implemented. It’s a shocking, disappointing, and highly partisan decision that proves once again that the success of our students is not the goal of the ‘education governor.’”
Felzkowski suggested the timing of the veto might be politically motivated, coming just four days before the State Superintendent election where Underly’s name appears on the ballot.
“I do not think it is a coincidence that the governor vetoed a return to his own standards only four days before the election for State Superintendent, in which Underly’s name is on the ballot,” Felzkowski said in a press release.
“Wisconsin students and parents deserve better than political games from the Governor,” she said.
Trades contracts
On the other hand, Felzkowski said she was pleased with the rapid ratification of trades contracts. On Friday, 2025 Wisconsin Acts 1, 2, and 3 ratified contracts for unionized building trades employees working in Wisconsin State Government.
The Joint Committee for Employment Relations, which Senate President Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) co-chairs, recommended the bills for approval in February and said that since the implementation of the current approval process, this is the earliest these contracts have ever been approved.
“I’m very excited that we got these contracts done quickly for the hard-working men and women who take care of our state facilities,” she said. “These are middle-class, blue-collar families ... and I am pleased that we were able to give these families more financial resources in a timely manner.”
Votes to send Capital Budget to Joint Committee on Finance without recommendation
Earlier last week, Felzkowski also voted to send the Governor’s recommendation for the 2025-27 Capital Budget to the Joint Committee on Finance without the recommendation of the State Building Commission (SBC), of which she is also a member. Comprised of eight members, the SBC is bipartisan and oversees planning, improvements, major maintenance, and renovation of state facilities.
“The Governor’s recommendations would result in $3.85 billion in new bonding for Wisconsin,” a press release from Felzkowski’s office said. “This is more new bonding than was authorized in the previous five capital budgets combined. Sending the budget to the Joint Committee on Finance without recommendation will allow for further discussion and opportunities for bipartisanship, additional information on where millions of dollars will be spent, and input from both stakeholders and the public.”
“Let me be clear: there are projects in this budget that will have a positive impact on Wisconsinites across the state, and we are not saying no to those projects,” she said. “Unfortunately, $3.85 billion in new debt is unrealistic if we want Wisconsin to stay financially sound. I look forward to working with members of the Joint Committee on Finance over the next few months to determine how we can invest in projects that will benefit our constituents while keeping Wisconsin in a good fiscal position.”
