February 18, 2025, Gov. Evers delivered his biennial budget recommendations to a joint meeting of the Wisconsin Legislature. Republican legislative leaders have said they are going to scrap what Gov. Evers proposed and set aside his non-fiscal policy recommendations.

Gov. Evers’ budget recommendations include several new and novel ways to sue Wisconsin businesses, including:

• Recreate a false claims act with qui tam provisions and thereby allow trial lawyers – in the name of the state – to sue private parties alleging public program fraud and allowing the trial lawyer to be awarded a bounty of up to 30% of the amount recovered.
• Create new avenues for civil suits against employers alleging gender identity & expression discrimination, unfair honesty testing, and unfair genetic testing.
• Create a new private right of action to sue broadband providers alleging provision of service discrimination.
• Create a new means by which service employees may sue employers, alleging an employer is denying the employee’s right to a predictable work schedule.
• Create a new public intervenor office to facilitate civil suits against health insurance companies relating to coverage disputes with policyholders.

The Wisconsin Civil Justice Council requested these recommendations be removed from the budget bill and be set aside. Republican legislative leaders reacted quickly and harshly, saying they are going to “start over” and ignore Gov. Evers’ recommendations.

Senate Republican Majority Leaders Sen. LeMahieu  criticized the level of spending and Assembly Republican Majority Leader Rep. August promised to rework the budget to focus on tax relief.  Joint Finance Committee Co-Chairs Sen. Marklein and Rep. Born and other Republican committee members issued similar statements. Democrats on the finance committee released a joint statement supporting Gov. Evers’ budget.