Wisconsin voters reject Republican efforts to restrict emergency aid
The state will still be able to quickly distribute federal aid in times of crisis as a result of the vote, advocates said.
Wisconsin voters rejected two proposed constitutional amendments that opponents said would have curtailed the state’s ability to distribute emergency aid from the federal government.
Nearly 60% of voters voted against the amendments in the Aug. 13 election.
The pair of amendments would have given state lawmakers nearly full control over how the state spends federal funds. Republicans, who control the Legislature, proposed the changes after disagreeing with how Democratic Gov. Tony Evers distributed federal COVID-19 pandemic relief funds, saying there should have been more oversight. But critics said the changes amounted to a power grab that would have added unnecessary red tape to get funds out to Wisconsin communities in times of crisis.
“We the voters turned out to show that Wisconsinites care about each other. We care about our beloved small businesses, the schools our children attend, our environment, our infrastructure and the countless other things that federal funds support,” League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Executive Director Debra Cronmiller said in a statement.
Evers said the results of the election showed that Wisconsinites support his work distributing the state’s pandemic relief funds.
“Our economic recovery didn’t happen by accident — it happened in large part because my administration and I made smart, strategic decisions that not only responded to immediate needs and crises but looked toward the future to build a better, safer and stronger economy and state,” he said in a statement.
Most federal funding that comes into the state is decided and spent through the state’s budget. These amendments would have required the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee to approve any emergency spending of federal funds for things like natural disaster relief.
Evers distributed the federal pandemic relief funds across the state to help small businesses expand and upgrade, help child care providers stay afloat, expand high-speed internet, and raise wages for long-term care providers.
Republican state lawmakers have turned to constitutional amendments as a way to implement policy rather than working with Democratic state lawmakers and Evers to pass bipartisan legislation. In the last two years, Republicans have placed seven constitutional amendments on the ballot, including five this year. Another amendment on the Nov. 5 ballot will ask voters to reaffirm that only U.S. citizens should vote in Wisconsin elections. The state constitution already ensures this, but the amendment would change the language stating that “only” a U.S. citizen can vote, rather than “every” U.S. citizen.
The amendments that failed on Aug. 13 were the first to be voted down since 2018. The groups that campaigned against the measures said their efforts to inform voters made a big difference. Eleven groups formed the Wisconsin Votes NO coalition to inform voters, spending nearly $1.9 million, knocking on doors, handing out yard signs and sending mailers to residents.
“Once explained clearly, Wisconsin voters understood that these attempts were yet another power grab by politicians and their special interest backers,” Wisconsin Conservation Voters Executive Director Kerry Schumann said in a statement. “Voters are clearly tired of these underhanded tactics and won’t be fooled by tricks and dishonesty. This is a victory for Wisconsin and will allow the efficient mobilization of federal funding when necessary for everything from natural disaster response to childcare services.”
