Greetings, friends and neighbors! I hope you all are having a great May. We are wrapping up National Police Week, which, as a law enforcement officer, is close to my heart. Our daily hope is that every man and woman in uniform will be able to come home safe. It's our privilege to protect, serve, and be part of our communities. This week we honor those who have fallen in the line of duty, and we remember their sacrifice, as well as their families in our thoughts. I am extremely grateful to be an advocate for law enforcement in the legislature and in our policymaking.

I have been busy in district this month, but was in Madison this week for our session to override some of the Governor's vetoes that we felt did not serve the people of Wisconsin. One of these vetoes was of our bill that outlined how to distribute $15 million to emergency rooms in the Chippewa Valley following the hospital closures. Some misinformation has been floating around, so I would like to share my perspective. Many of you have been asking: why doesn't our Joint Finance Committee (JFC) just release the funds? It's not as simple as some of my colleagues have been saying.

Evers' veto of our bill eliminated the grant program for the money, i.e., how it would be distributed and handled, and how we would make sure it stayed in the Chippewa Valley. With the plan vetoed, if JFC released the funds, they would be acting against legislative intent and putting themselves in a legally precarious position. A committee cannot override a veto. The only way a veto can be overcome is through a 2/3 majority in the legislature (which is why we voted for an override in the senate).

This has been a long and rocky process, and I am disappointed that Evers’ veto cut short our efforts. We know and have heard from you how much these healthcare closures have affected our region. This has always been about trying to take care of our people in the midst of a healthcare crisis, and this has always been about the lives and livelihoods at stake due to these healthcare closures. I will continue to do all I can, and in the meantime, the Assembly will have to decide whether to join us in these overrides.

senjessejames@legis.wisconsin.gov