Senator Quinn: Constitutional Questions Coming To August Ballot

In the upcoming election held on August 13, two referendum questions will appear on your ballot. Constituents often ask me about questions on the ballot because the legal wording can be confusing, so I thought I would share more information to help you make a decision on these votes.

Voters will be asked to decide whether the legislature should have a role in decisions related to the spending of federal funds sent to Wisconsin.

One of the legislature’s main responsibilities is to oversee the spending of taxpayer dollars. The power of the purse is the job of the legislature, but legislators gave up some of that oversight during the Great Depression by delegating authority over federal funding to the governor.

Issues with this authority further came to light during the COVID pandemic when billions of dollars flowed into Wisconsin from the federal government, giving the governor complete control to spend the funds with zero accountability. Restoring the legislature’s role will give a voice to constituents across the state, no matter who is in the governor’s office.

Here are the exact questions as they will appear on the August ballot:

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 1 asks if you think the legislature should play a role in how taxpayer dollars are spent in Wisconsin. A “yes” vote holds the legislature accountable for spending tax dollars. A “no” vote allows the responsibility to be delegated to the governor.

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?”

Question 2 asks if you think the governor should be required to have legislative approval to spend federal funding sent to Wisconsin. A “yes” vote means the legislature must approve all spending of federal funding sent to Wisconsin. A “no” vote means the governor should continue to spend federal funding sent to Wisconsin without legislative approval.

Earlier this year, as a member of the State Senate, I voted to ask you and all voters around the state the questions that will be on the August ballot. It’s now up to you – the voters – to choose whether to add these amendments to our state constitution and make clear how you want your state government to function. Do you think we should restore the legislature’s role in spending decisions?

Election Day is August 13. For more information about this year’s elections, please visit myvote.wi.gov to check your voter registration status, find your polling place, see what’s on your ballot, or request an absentee ballot.