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MILWAUKEE - Voters approved two of three referendums to amend the Wisconsin Constitution on Tuesday. Here's how each ballot question shook out.
Wisconsin Constitutional Amendments
How it works:
Voters had the final say on changing the Wisconsin Constitution. Before the November votes, the Legislature approved the proposal twice, in two consecutive two-year sessions. The governor does not get a veto.
APPROVED: Governor partial veto limits
The backstory:
Question 1 on Wisconsin ballots asked: "Shall section 10 (1) (c) of article V of the constitution be amended to prohibit the governor, in exercising his or her partial veto authority, from creating or increasing or authorizing the creation or increase of any tax or fee?"
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Why you should care:
The proposal was sparked by Gov. Tony Evers’ creative use of his veto pen. The Wisconsin Legislature passed a budget increasing school funding for two school years – 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. However, the governor scratched out a 20 and the hyphen to make the end date 2425, allowing 400 years of school funding increases.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled it was allowed. The Republican-controlled Legislature pushed the state Constitutional Amendment to ban the governor from using the partial veto to create or increase a fee or tax moving forward.
REJECTED: Freedom to gather in places of worship during an emergency
The backstory:
Question 2 on Wisconsin ballots asked: "Shall section 18 of article I of the constitution, which deals with religious liberty, be amended to prohibit the state or a political subdivision of the state from ordering the closure of, or forbidding gatherings in, places of worship in response to a state of emergency, including a public health emergency?"
Why you should care:
The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns sparked the debate. The ballot measure asked voters if the Wisconsin Constitution should be amended to ban state or local governments from ordering the closure of places of worship during a state of emergency.
APPROVED: Governmental entity discrimination prohibited
The backstory:
Question 3 on Wisconsin ballots asked: "Shall section 27 of article I of the constitution be created to prohibit governmental entities in the state from discriminating against, or granting preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, public education, public contracting, or public administration?"
What To Know:
The ballot measure sought to ban the state from giving preferential treatment or discriminating based on someone's race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. It would apply when offering government jobs or contracts, as well as in public education.
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"I call this constitutional amendment the equality amendment, because what it does is it restores merit, fairness and equality to government practices in Wisconsin all the way from the state capital all the way down to our school boards and everything in between," State Rep. David Murphy said in support of the proposal in January.
"It's going to be unfortunate, where they would have had an opportunity to get ahead. This is one more not, to knock people down," State Rep. Russell Goodwin said in January when asked about the proposal against affirmative action. "Whereas this was to benefit certain people, to help them in situations where they wouldn't get this opportunity in some instances."
All Wisconsin election results
Dig deeper:
FOX6 News has complete results for a number of key races across Wisconsin. Follow the links below to find the race you're looking for:
- Wisconsin statewide races, referendums
- Wisconsin Congressional races
- Wisconsin State Senate races
- Wisconsin State Assembly races
- Local races
Balance of Power
Big picture view:
FOX6 News and LiveNOW from FOX also kept tabs on race around the country:
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Democrats win House and Senate - what this means for Trump's final two years
Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress following Tuesday’s midterm election, paving the way for a divided final two years of President Donald Trump’s time in office.
The Source: FOX6 News referenced election results from The Associated Press and referenced prior coverage of the referendums, including information from the Wisconsin Elections Commission, ballot samples, State Rep. David Murphy, State Rep. Russell Goodwin.