There are two referendum items on the Wisconsin primary ballot on August 13th. The goal is to amend the Wisconsin Constitution to change how federal funds granted to the states are spent. Currently that responsibility falls to the governor, and rightly so. He is the head of the executive branch of state government and that is the type of responsibility we would expect a governor to take on. And unlike a president, a governor is elected in a general statewide election so is the official most in line with the residents of Wisconsin.
The purported goal of the amendments is to move the spending authority to the legislature. This is absurd on its face, and although the legislature may hold the state purse strings, it has no experience in allocating funds to fix issues in the state. And no matter how efficient a legislative body may be, it will never be as effective as a governor. And often federal funds have a stated emergency purpose and time may be of the essence.
Of course these amendments are the result of the continued animus of Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and the GOP majority in Madison toward Governor Tony Evers. But you can tell they are aware that they are full of shit with the obtuse and confusing wording…and that they are being offered in the August primary, one of the lowest turnout elections in Wisconsin. If they were sincere these would be offered on the November ballot.
So preserve the ability of Wisconsin to benefit from the accurate and timely distribution of federal funds by VOTING NO on these two referendum items on August 13th!
More discussion?
Endorsements: The Two Constitutional Amendments: Please Vote NO
What to know about constitutional amendment questions going to Wisconsin voters in August
