August 13 Constitutional Amendments
Wisconsin Farmers Union is taking a clear stand on two upcoming constitutional questions on the August 13 ballot designed to limit the power of the governor to distribute federal funding. If they pass, the balance of power within our state government will be upset and our state will become even more dysfunctional.
Why should you VOTE NO on both constitutional amendment questions?
Our tax dollars fund vital services like infrastructure, national security, and emergency responses. These amendments would introduce bureaucratic, partisan delays, adding unnecessary red tape that holds up lifesaving funds when we need them the most.
Imagine during a natural disaster, like a flood, when communities desperately need immediate relief. These amendments would delay essential aid–like food, shelter, medicine, and loans, that people depend on to get by when bad luck strikes.
Our Wisconsin legislature often grapples with infighting and gridlock. In times of crisis, we can’t afford any delays. It's crucial to have a responsive arm of government that can act swiftly and efficiently on behalf of the whole state at any time. The full state assembly and state senate only meet a few times per year!
It's easier for voters to hold the governor accountable for spending federal funds than to hold the entire legislature responsible. The governor, regardless of party affiliation should retain this responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability. The Governor is allowed to declare a state of emergency and provide government resources–let’s not remove the ability for them to solve problems with real tools.
These proposed changes don’t address any real problem. Legislators already control the state’s purse strings–they approve the state budget. There’s no need to change our state constitution.
Statewide election turnout for August 13 is expected slightly over 50%, so it is absolutely crucial to vote on August 13, get others to turn out to vote, put up a WFU “vote no” yard sign, write an op-ed or social media post, and stop this wall of red tape from getting any higher in Wisconsin. The wording on two ballot measures is intentionally confusing, so we must do what we can to educate our neighbors to vote “no” on both amendments. You can pick up your yard sign at our summer conference in July. See you there!
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On the ballot, we will see these two poorly worded constitutional 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?”
❌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?”
Our organization is saying “vote no” to both amendments. We don’t need more legislative red tape and partisan gridlock–especially when disaster strikes.