We want to let you know about a couple of binding referenda that will be on everyone’s ballot on the August 13 primary. These are referenda that will amend our constitution if they pass with a simple majority vote. The state legislature has passed them twice now—in two consecutive legislative sessions. Now they are ready for we the people to vote on. And remember, the process for amending the state constitution completely bypasses the veto pen of the governor. It’s the legislature and the people who get to decide if our Wisconsin constitution is amended.
The conservative Wisconsin-based media outlet The MacIver Institute has some good discussion on the two questions, both related to the same issue. Here’s what MacIver says, quote, “Gov. Evers has been on a spending spree ever since Congress started sending Wisconsin billions of dollars in covid relief aid. He’s been able to spend that at will, without any oversight from the legislature. The legislature has the constitutional responsibility to provide oversight over state spending. Assembly Joint Resolution 6 would ensure that that oversight includes federal funds provided to the state.”
So here are the two questions–
Question 1: “Delegation of appropriation power. Shall section 35 (1) of article IV of the constitution be created to provide that the legislature may not delegate its sole power to determine how moneys shall be appropriated?”
To interpret – the question is saying should we amend the state constitution to make it clear that the state legislature cannot delegate to someone else or some other agency or some other office or some other branch of government its power to determine how state money is spent?
A yes vote on Question 1 means you want to amend the constitution to ensure that the state legislature never delegates its power to determine how money is spent to someone else or some other entity.
A no vote on Question 1 means you are fine with the state legislature delegating its constitutional authority on how money is spent to someone else or some other entity.
Here’s Question 2: “Allocation of federal moneys. Shall section 35 (2) of article IV of the constitution be created to prohibit the governor from allocating any federal moneys the governor accepts on behalf of the state without the approval of the legislature by joint resolution or as provided by legislative rule?”
Interpretation – should we amend the state constitution to make sure that if a governor of Wisconsin accepts federal money on behalf of our state, he or she must get legislative approval before spending that money.
A yes vote on Question 2 means you want to amend the state constitution to make sure a governor has to have legislative approval on how any federal money is spent—federal money he or she accepts on behalf of the state.
A no vote on Question 2 means you are ok with a governor being able to decide completely on his or her own how federal money is spent that the governor has accepted on behalf of the state. You don’t want the legislature to have to approve how that money is spent.
Once again, just as we had this spring, these questions can individually pass or fail. So we could get Question 1 passed and question 2 fails or vice versa—or both could fail or both could pass. The bottom line is we the people will be the ones determining whether they pass or fail.
