MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday signed a bill into law banning police chokeholds, except in life or death situations, on the same day the Assembly sent him a measure that would penalize local governments that attempt to defund their police departments.

Evers, in his message signing the bipartisan chokehold ban and three other policing bills, called on the GOP-controlled Legislature to pass more meaningful reforms. Other proposals he signed will require the reporting of incidents when police used force, the posting of use-of-force policies online and will create a community policing grant program.

Evers called the measures he signed “a step toward making meaningful progress for a more just, more equitable, and safer state for everyone. ... Today is not the end, it has to be the beginning.”

The Republican-authored bill the Assembly passed Tuesday would mandate that any municipality that decreases the number of police officers, firefighters or medical first responders would receive a cut in state aid equal to the amount of compensation cut.

Municipalities that do not cut the number of officers would receive more in state aid. Police departments with fewer than 30 officers would be exempt.

The bill is an attempt by conservatives to stop those who want to reduce the size of police departments, sometimes to direct more funding to other social services that may not require a law enforcement intervention.

Democrats argued for increasing funding overall for local governments, saying budget challenges are what pressure communities to consider cutting police funding. They also argued that the state was attempting to interfere with local government decision-making and that the proposal would do nothing to keep communities safe.

“The solution is not for the Legislature to try to micromanage these municipal budgeting decisions,” Democratic Rep. Mark Spreitzer said prior to debate. “It’s to actually fund municipal budgets so our communities can make the investments in public safety we would all like to see.”

Spreitzer said the proposal was a “cynical” attempt to punish local governments.

“This bill is not serious,” Spreitzer said. “This bill is laughable.”

Republican backers say the bill would keep cities from indiscriminately cutting police and would keep communities safe.

“Fewer officers means when you are threatened, you wait longer to have someone come and help you out,” said Republican Speaker Robin Vos. “When police officers do their jobs, they prevent violence and that’s what we need more of in our society.”

Vos said the public supports funding police departments, not cutting them.

“Reducing funding for the police should never be supported by anyone in public office,” he said.

The bill passed on a 61-37 vote, with all Republicans and Democratic Rep. Nick Milroy, of South Range, in support and all other Democrats against.

The measure is one of several working its way through the Legislature that would make changes to policing in the wake of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis last year. Evers has promised to sign measures passed last week, including one that would generally ban police chokeholds.