“Forever chemicals” have become a flashpoint for Wisconsin politics.
While there has been money set aside – a $125 million trust fund – to address the growing number of communities and homeowners impacted by PFAS, Republicans and Democrats disagree over how best to release the money to the state Department of Natural Resources for spending.
Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, wants the DNR to decide how to best spend the money to help residents. Meanwhile, Republicans say they want a clear spending plan for the money, created through legislation.
Over the last several months, Evers has continually called for the release of the PFAS trust fund to the DNR, so the agency can focus on solving issues being caused by the chemicals.
“Do you think he realizes that he’s using the fact that he vetoed how to spend the money to ask that we give him the money anyways?” the post said.
Wanggaard’s post was meant as a comment on a previous post by Evers, in which the governor once again called on the Legislature to “release these funds and get this important work done for folks and families across our state.”
But let’s look at Wanggaard’s claim – basically, he’s saying that Evers is asking the GOP to release money for PFAS, but “vetoed (a bill outlining) how to spend the money.”
Is that true?
When asked for backup, a spokeswoman for Wanggaard declined to share any information about the claim, but plenty of information already exists, so let’s dive in.
PFAS have faced a partisan battle
In April, Evers did veto a bill created by Republicans that outlined how they thought the $125 million trust fund should be spent. Issuing the veto, of course, is Evers’ prerogative.
The bill included a provision that some believe could harm the DNR’s authority to address PFAS contamination, and another targeted at “innocent landowners” that environmental advocates worried would excuse some PFAS manufacturers and users from having to take responsibility for a contamination.
Officials with the DNR, Evers and Republican bill authors met several times throughout the drafting process and the amendment process, but did not reach a compromise, according to an Oct. 11, 2023 report from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Republicans have insisted that the veto also blocks them from releasing the funds currently held in the trust fund, the Journal Sentinel report said.
Republicans voted along party lines to override Evers’ veto, but the Assembly – also controlled by Republicans – has offered no indication it will schedule its own vote.
So, the matter has been left in limbo.
For his part, Evers has repeatedly asked the Legislature to release the money. He even attempted to call in the Joint Finance Committee to release the funding and his administration submitted several draft plans to the panel that outlined how the money could be spent without further legislation.
On May 7, 2023, for example, the committee released funding from the national opioid settlement agreement, after altering the Department of Health Service’s submitted plan, according to the Journal Sentinel.
But the committee twice refused to hold a vote.
Republican leaders on the committee said the panel can’t hold a vote to release the funding, because “it would be essentially ignoring the governor’s veto on the bill spending the money,” a May 14, 2024 report from the Journal Sentinel said.
Leadership also suggested that releasing the funding after the veto could open the Legislature up to legal action.
Our ruling
Wanggaard claimed that despite the governor’s calls for Republicans to release the PFAS “trust fund,” Evers “vetoed (a bill outlining) how to spend the money.”
Evers in April 2024 did veto a Republican-authored bill that outlined how the money could be spent, and created new programs to aid in cleaning up PFAS and protecting “innocent landowners” from being held liable for contamination on their property.
Of course, Evers isn’t obligated to agree to the Republican plan, any more than Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee are obligated to sign off on his administration’s plans to let the DNR spend the PFAS trust fund.
And without some sort of agreement between Republicans and Democrats, Wisconsin is unlikely to see the PFAS funding released to communities.
We rate this claim Mostly True. While Wanggaard’s statement is accurate, it needs clarification or additional information.
Sources
Sen. Van Wanggaard, Post to X, April 15, 2024
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Forever chemical bill clears committee, but worries over limits to DNR authority persist,” Oct. 11, 2023
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Evers vetoes ‘forever chemical’ bill, calls Joint Finance in for special session to release PFAS ‘trust fund,’” April 9, 2024
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Senate votes to overturn 9 Evers vetoes. But it’s not likely the Assembly will do the same,” May 14, 2024
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Republicans approve spending $36M opioid settlement money but again shut down PFAS talks,” May 7, 2024
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Evers did veto PFAS bill and is still asking legislators to release funding
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