Wisconsin is famous for the partial veto, which grants unprecedented power to the governor. In the state, the governor can cross out sentences, dollar amounts and even singular letters to alter legislation when it lands on the governor’s desk for a signature.

Not even the president has this authority, as it was found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1998. Technically, Wisconsin voters passed an amendment in 2008 to ban the procedure as well, but in 2011 Gov. Scott Walker brought the line-item veto back from the dead.

The line-item veto gives the executive branch unprecedented authority to amend bills, a responsibility designated to the legislative branch. But — and this may sound crazy given Walker’s unpopularity — the voters of Wisconsin made a mistake ending this controversial policy.

Though many see the line-item veto as giving the executive dictatorial powers, it in fact streamlines the amendment process. In the Legislature, amending bills can be time-consuming and often spur bickering between the opposing parties or factions. With the line-item veto, the elected statewide executive can finish the amendment process in a matter of minutes.

For the short two-year period President Bill Clinton had the power of the line-item veto, he used it to benefit the economy. Though Congress overrode 38 of his vetoes, his use of the line-item veto saved the government more than $2 billion in wasteful spending.

This could help Wisconsin considering it has a balanced budget amendment, making it illegal to pass a budget that forecasts a deficit. But the line-item veto can trim down proposed budgets, speeding up the process to a balanced budget and freeing up extra money for government programs. 

It’s important to look at the reimplementation of the line-item veto through a nonpartisan lens. If you are a Democrat, you may be thinking giving Walker this power is a bad idea. But there are two important things to consider.

For one thing, Walker has already used this power even though it was revoked by Wisconsin voters via referendum.

Also, Democrats should not forget they could use the line-item veto to their advantage in the future. Wisconsin is not Wyoming, and there is no doubt a Democrat will once again take a seat in the governor’s chair in the near future. What isn’t clear is when Democrats will have majorities in both houses of the state Legislature.

The districts have been badly gerrymandered, and because of this the Republicans are favored to keep their majorities at least until the redistricting in 2020. If the legislative branch and the executive branch are controlled by differing parties, the line-item veto can be used to the advantage of a Democratic governor.

While the line-item veto may seem like a radical expansion of power in principle, its positive outcomes are something to be considered. At a time when our state is deeply divided politically, it would be responsible for the elected executive of our state to be granted with powers that would allow him to deal with a paralyzed Legislature.

Given the slow recovery of our economy, a governor with the power to enhance legislation could put Wisconsin ahead of the game.

Nichalous Pogorelec ([email protected]) is a junior studying sociology.