The August 2024 Constitutional Amendments are Dangerous for Wisconsin Communities and Bad for Wisconsin Business

The State Legislature has placed two questions on the August 2024 ballot. Together, these amendments would eliminate the Governor’s ability to allocate and distribute federal funds sent to Wisconsin by giving the legislature sole power to approve how these funds are used. Both questions were passed by Republicans in the legislature as part of Assembly Joint Resolution 6.

These amendments are an attempt to effectively remove checks and balances and give legislators the sole authority to decide how funds received from the federal government are spent.

If passed, legislative approval would be necessary even in times of crisis. Subjecting emergency funds to legislative approval could prevent relief reaching Wisconsinites when they need it most or even lead to federal funds being reallocated to other states instead.

These are the confusing and misleading questions as they will appear on the August 2024 primary ballot:

● Question 1- Delegation of Appropriation Power: 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: 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?

Impacts of these amendments could include:

● Legislative delays and gridlock could lead to Wisconsin losing out on important federal funding that could instead be clawed back by the federal government or reallocated to other states.

● These amendments effectively leave the governor’s veto power as the only opportunity for the executive branch and state agencies to influence how these federal funds are spent.

● Emergency aid, like funding that was distributed during the pandemic, could be delayed or blocked entirely by legislative gridlock. For example:

○ funding to keep child care centers open to help workers and employers, programs that are still running today

○ targeted help for long-term care facilities and hospitals when they needed it most

○ Support for small businesses and impacted industries like tourism

● Potential delays in response to outbreaks like Avian Flu: funding going from the federal government to the state could be slowed down in getting to farmers and producers facing devastating losses.

● Fiscal chaos for local governments and frontline service providers: delay or disrupt payments to Medicaid providers, FoodShare recipients, nursing homes, local governments, local health departments, and non-profits for things such as mental health services, substance use treatment services, lead testing and cancer prevention.

● Block safe drinking water funds: Gives legislators more ways to block federal funding to clean up toxic PFAS

● Stalled Infrastructure Investment : A few rogue legislators could hold up approval of federal highway funding, potentially costing our state billions.

● Block or delay acceptance of new funding opportunities under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or the Inflation Reduction Act, including funding for broadband and energy projects.

● Delay unemployment assistance for working families during the next downturn: during the pandemic there were six different federal programs to provide additional unemployment insurance. At least four of those programs required the governor’s action to delegate/direct the funds and could have been prevented or delayed if this type of federal funds amendment was in place. The four programs were:

○ Pandemic Unemployment Assistance - increasing the types of workers eligible (including self-employed, independent contractors, workers who have a limited work history)

○ Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation - the increased amounts per week ($300/600)

○ Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation - additional weeks of eligibility

○ Extended Benefits - extra weeks too

For information on how to be supportive to this effort contact:

Emma Lowry Cell (909) 267-0914 email: lowrylemma@gmail.com