(The Center Square) – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a bill that would have ended the ability of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to raise fees for animal market licenses, animal dealer licenses, animal trucker licenses and animal transport vehicle registrations after the department had proposed large increases in those fees earlier this year.
DATCP had proposed increasing a livestock market fee from $420 to $7,430, trucker license fees from $60 to $370 and animal dealer fees from $220 to $670 last year before receiving significant pushback and later proposing smaller increases.
“I am also vetoing this bill because I believe the current process relating to rule promulgation and setting, increasing, or creating fees works, including ensuring adequate public input and accountability for agency decisions regarding fees,” Evers wrote in his veto message. “I am also vetoing this bill because it fails to establish a reasonable and sustainable funding plan for the department. It would not cover annual program costs, nor eliminate the current structural deficit in the programs, resulting in the appropriation operating in a negative cash balance.”
The Wisconsin Farm Bureau and Americans for Prosperity–Wisconsin collected public feedback, sending it to DATCP after the rules were proposed, and leading DATCP to later propose lower fees.
The fee increase proposal came after a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that blocked legislators from oversight on rulemaking with Evers telling agencies to bypass having rules heard in committee and instead simply enact them.
Bill sponsor Romaine Quinn, R-Birchwood, said in a statement that he was particularly upset with Evers stating the fee freeze was “enabling the Legislature to go right back to indefinitely obstructing the People’s Work.”
“I find it offensive that the governor would consider it the ‘people’s work’ to target those who work hard to survive in our ag industry,” Quinn said. “Governor Evers chose to back his unelected bureaucrats instead of looking out for the farmers in this state. Forcing his unchecked power against the will of the majority…looks like we have some new material for the next ‘No Kings’ protest.”
Republican lawmakers and Congressman Tom Tiffany’s War Room official campaign for governor account responded to The Center Square’s initial report on the DATCP bill veto questioning why Evers’ would want to put the large fee increases on Wisconsin farmers.
This is insane. Democrats want to raise fees on Wisconsin farmers and livestock barns by 1,700%.@saraforwi, @TheOtherMandela, and @FrancescaHongWI all support it. https://t.co/hZlzgJJNRe— Tiffany War Room (@TiffanyWarRoom) April 3, 2026
“Unelected bureaucrats in the Evers-Rodriguez Administration tried sneaking through a 1700% fee increase on Wisconsin farmers,” Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, wrote. “Republicans fought to end it, but today Evers VETOED that bill—doubling down on harmful fee hikes on our family farms.”
Unelected bureaucrats in the Evers-Rodriguez Administration tried sneaking through a 1700% fee increase on Wisconsin farmers. Republicans fought to end it, but today Evers VETOED that bill—doubling down on harmful fee hikes on our family farms. https://t.co/RmVXsDo1gk pic.twitter.com/QaNGTlQOBz— Rep. Amanda Nedweski (@RepNedweski32) April 3, 2026
