Wisconsin voters reject two measures that would have decreased governor’s spending powers

Wisconsin voters rejected Republican-backed ballot measures that would have decreased the spending powers of Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) and future governors of the state.

The questions were written and backed by the Republican-controlled state legislature, in which Evers and the legislature have been at odds with one another since he took office in 2018. The ballot measures were initiated due to the influx of COVID-19 relief funds, which were allocated to the state without much further direction. Evers spent much of the funds on many small business initiatives, local government recovery grants, emergency health supplies, and paying healthcare providers.

If they were approved , the first question would have added an amendment to the state’s constitution that would prohibit the state legislature from delegating its power to appropriate money. The second question would have added an amendment to the state constitution that would require the governor to get approval from the legislature before expanding federal funds that were appropriated to the state.

Republicans argued that state legislators should maintain authority over spending federal funds in the state. They also argued the measures, if passed, would apply to both future governors whether they were Republican or Democratic.

Democrats in recent weeks, however, waged a campaign urging Wisconsinites to reject the ballot measures. Wisconsin Democrats created a ‘Vote No’ website and held multiple press conferences across the Badger state regarding the questions.

In 2020, WisPolitics found the Wisconsin legislature was the least active in the county .

Democrats used this as a line of attack against the measures, arguing that due to the legislature’s absence, there would be no one to allocate funds for disasters or emergencies. Democrats pointed to Wisconsin lawmakers' absence during the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason the governor should be in charge of distributing federal funds.

“Wisconsinites came together to vote down another shameless GOP attempt to award politicians more power at the expense of our first responders, our child care providers, and local communities. Wisconsin Democrats are proud to have organized to defeat these risky and misleading constitutional amendments—marking only the second time since 1996 that a constitutional amendment has been defeated at the ballot box,” Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler said in a statement Tuesday.

“Republican politicians in Madison pushed these amendments because they recognized their grip on power was waning with new, fair maps, and they were desperate to cement their extreme agenda into Wisconsin’s Constitution. Tonight, Wisconsin voters defeated an attempt by MAGA politicians to bend our Constitution,” Wikler continued.

Despite both presidential candidates being long set in stone, turnout for the primary was high with 26% of those who were of voting age in the state casting a ballot on Tuesday. According to the Associated Press , that marked the highest turn out for a primary election in the state in 60 years. One of the Democratic strongholds of the state, Dane County, had 45% turnout.

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Evers previously expressed concern that the amendments would not be voted upon because he believed Republicans hoped the amendments will “go unnoticed” due to them being on the primary ballot.

Wisconsin voters also solidified Eric Hovde as the Republican nominee, and he is set to challenge Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) this November.