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Foreign land ownership bill vetoed by Wisconsin Governor

Legislation that would have prohibited foreign adversaries from acquiring Wisconsin farm and forest land has been vetoed by Governor Tony Evers.

Jason Mugnaini with Wisconsin Farm Bureau tells Brownfield that protecting the U.S. and Wisconsin supply chain is important, so the veto is disappointing. “We thought that this bill was a good fix, and was a compromise opportunity for us to single out adversarial nations to allow investments from our friendly nations like Europe and Asian countries.”

In a veto statement, Governor Evers says he objects to the Legislature placing blanket prohibitions on all real property ownership regardless of the specific circumstances and whether or not any real threat exists. He’s also concerned that the bill would negatively impact existing Wisconsin businesses with complex ownership structures.

Mugnaini says the bill was a good compromise, allowing friendly international investment while preventing foreign plant and fungal diseases. “This is an important thing to make sure that we’re not allowing this type of circumstance, so the Governor’s veto leaves Wisconsin farmland with a potential for adversarial purchase and the potential for harm to our food supply chain.”

Mugnaini says Farm Bureau will continue to push for similar legislation with a new Legislature and new Governor early next year.

AUDIO: Jason Mugnaini discusses Governor Tony Evers’ veto of Wisconsin Senate Bill #7 on foreign owned farm and forest land with Brownfield’s Larry Lee.