Wisconsin’s Senate Majority Leader is disappointed in a bill vetoed that has somewhat gone under the radar.
9th District State Senator Devin LeMahieu says Assembly Bill 269 would have provided benefits for people working in the gig economy.
Those are people who work part-time for companies like Uber, Lyft, or DoorDash.
LeMahieu said on the WCUB Breakfast Club that right now, those companies can’t provide people with health insurance or other coverage.
“There’s a lot of people who enjoy flexible jobs, but they also want benefits,” he stated. “So, we were the first state to actually send it to the governor.”
LeMahieu wants to try again next session to see if it will pass.
In his veto message, Evers said he vetoed the bill because he didn’t like the definition of independent contractor in the absence of any guaranteed benefits for workers.
The governor goes on to explain that while App-based drivers are a growing segment of the state’s workforce, changing the definition is a “serious endeavor— one that demands substantive conversations among several parties, including with both management and workers, to achieve an appropriate and balanced policy that all sides can support.”
Evers finished by saying he remains committed to ensuring Wisconsin workers are treated with dignity and respect. LeMahieu called the veto very unfortunate.
The Fall session for the Wisconsin Legislature begins the day after Labor Day in Madison. Bills will be sent to Evers in December.
