Madison, WI – Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) and Rep. Mark Born (R- Beaver Dam) sent a letter to Governor Tony Evers today regarding his ongoing threat to veto legislation related to PFAS funding. The Co-Chairs asked the Governor to sign Senate Bill (SB) 312 when it arrives on his desk so that the funding to address PFAS may be released. The Co-Chairs expressed concerns about legal risk in restoring vetoed programs and changing legislative intent within a committee.
Following is the content of the letter:
April 1, 2024
The Honorable Tony Evers
Governor of the State of Wisconsin
115 East State Capitol
Madison, WI 53707
Dear Governor Evers:
Over the last several months, you have repeatedly called on the Joint Committee on Finance (JFC) to release funds to address per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) in Wisconsin. At the same time, you have threatened to veto legislation supported by PFAS-affected communities and passed by the legislature that would create the programs and changes to the law necessary to effectively mitigate contamination by these chemicals. Furthermore, your Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has sent us a 13.10 request that would conflict with legislative intent. We are contacting you to ask you to sign Senate Bill (SB) 312 when it arrives on your desk. Please do not veto this bill. The JFC will not change the legislative intent for these funds. Through the legislative process, public hearings, and extensive revisions and compromise, the PFAS relief bill passed by the Legislature has earned the support of affected communities, including all three statewide associations representing all levels of local government.
Vetoing the critical protections and programs supported by victims and affected communities will turn funds the legislature intended to help victims into an unaccountable slush fund that your administration has said it would use to bring enforcement action against farmers and other innocent landowners who didn’t cause the pollution in the first place. You are asking us to fund a bill that you have threatened to veto. You are asking a committee of the legislature to re-write legislation, change legislative intent and fund a program you plan to veto. If you veto the bill, the program doesn’t exist. Considering the fact that you have filed lawsuits against the legislature, we will not take the legal risk of restoring vetoed programs and changing legislative intent within a committee.
SB 312 addresses the PFAS issue. We are ready to take action on PFAS through SB 312. Do not veto this bill and be the obstacle to move this critical relief forward. If you are serious about addressing PFAS, sign the bill.
Sincerely,
Howard Marklein
State Senator
17th Senate District
