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A proposed law in Wisconsin to ban public schools from teaching about the harms of racism was vetoed on Feb. 4 by Gov. Tony Evers, along with three other bills that had been passed by the Legislature鈥檚 Republican majority but without significant bipartisan support.

Evers also vetoed a bill allowing employers to assign younger teenagers to work longer hours both on school nights as well as on weekends and in the summer.

AB-411, the bill limiting how subjects relating to race and racism are taught in schools, is one of several bills that Republican lawmakers have promoted to limit educational and training聽. So far it is the only one to聽.

鈥淚 object to creating new censorship rules that restrict schools and educators from teaching honest, complete facts about important historical topics like the Civil War and civil rights,鈥� Evers wrote in his聽. Educators, parents and schools, should be and are able 鈥渢o work together to do what is best for our kids,鈥� he added, 鈥渨ithout the political interference and micromanagement from politicians in Madison.鈥�

The teen workers bill, SB-332, would have allowed employers not covered by federal labor standards to聽 to 9:30 p.m. on school nights and 11 p.m. on non-school nights.

In his聽, Evers said the measure would have created 鈥渢wo separate systems of work requirements for employers鈥� and increased administrative work for businesses trying to figure out聽 for the proposed looser state standard or not.

While the bill鈥檚 advocates have positioned it as a response to the difficulties some employers have had in filling job openings, Evers said the state鈥檚 workforce challenges require 鈥渕eaningful, sustainable, and long-term solutions鈥� that address issues such as child care and skills training to provide working families more support and help more people join the workforce.

鈥淭his bill does not further those goals, and I hope the Legislature will join me in addressing this issue with real, meaningful solutions,鈥� he wrote.

Evers also vetoed AB-86, which would have eased licensure standards for alternative health care providers. The bill, he wrote in his聽, 鈥渨ould allow some practitioners to practice without the necessary training. He noted that groups representing social workers and the mental health community had raised concerns about the prospect of untrained practitioners providing psychotherapy and other mental health services were the bill to be enacted.

The fourth bill that Evers vetoed, AB-440, would have聽 for marijuana聽 processed through butane extraction. In his聽 , he wrote that he favors full legalization of marijuana 鈥� a proposal stripped by GOP lawmakers from his 2021-23 budget.

The legislation, he wrote, would exacerbate 鈥渓ongstanding racial disparities鈥� already found in Wisconsin, where criminalizing marijuana 鈥渉as had a disproportionate impact on communities of color鈥� and contributed to higher incarceration rates for Black people.

The governor signed 14 pieces of legislation on Feb. 4 as well, including one in free and charitable health clinics and another that formally licenses聽.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Wisconsin Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Ruth Conniff for questions: [email protected]. Follow Wisconsin Examiner on and .

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