The Office of the Governor of the State of Wisconsin
01/09/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/10/2025 15:42
Gov. Evers Delivers Radio Address Highlighting Pathway for Wisconsinites to Enshrine the Will of the People
Press Release: Gov. Evers Delivers Radio Address Highlighting Pathway for Wisconsinites to Enshrine the Will of the People
State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 01/09/2025 02:00 PM CST| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 9, 2025 |
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| Gov. Evers Delivers Radio Address Highlighting Pathway for Wisconsinites to Enshrine the Will of the People |
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Audio File of Radio Address. MADISON - Gov. Tony Evers today delivered his weekly radio address highlighting his recent announcement that in his upcoming 2025-27 biennial budget, he will proposerequiring the Wisconsin State Legislature to allow the people of Wisconsin to put binding referenda on the ballot in Wisconsin, enabling Wisconsinites to enact statutory and constitutional changes through a majority vote at the ballot box and without the Legislature's approval. Unlike in other states, Wisconsinites do not have the power to propose new laws or constitutional amendments through a binding ballot initiative process, which would otherwise enable the people of Wisconsin to enact policy changes through a simple statewide majority vote. In Wisconsin, only the Legislature can approve and place ballot questions on the ballot, leaving Wisconsinites little recourse when the Legislature fails to enact policies that have broad public support. Gov. Evers' budget proposal will require the Legislature to create a pathway for Wisconsinites to enshrine the will of the people into state law, including on issues and areas that have long been supported by a majority of Wisconsinites but have been repeatedly rejected by the Republican majority in the Legislature, including legalizing and regulating marijuana, ensuring access to safe and legal abortion, expanding BadgerCare, and enacting commonsense gun safety reform policies, among other critical priorities of statewide importance and support. The governor's proposal comes as Wisconsinites saw five statewide referenda questions in 2024-the most in a single year in over four decades, according to a report from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Yesterday, the governor also issued a statementon yet another Republican-backed constitutional amendment, which was also Republican-drafted and Republican-passed, largely without direct input from the people of Wisconsin.
Over the past few years, I'veproposed legislation to expand BadgerCare, legalize marijuana, restoreRoe v. Wadeand defend reproductive freedom, enact commonsense gun safety reform, expand paid family leave, create a nonpartisan redistricting process, and among so many other proposals that we know a majority of Wisconsinites support. Because I believe the will of the people should be the law of the land. Unfortunately, even though these commonsense policies have broad public support from Wisconsinites, Republican lawmakers have repeatedly obstructed our efforts and ignored the will of the people. Unlike over 20 other states, in Wisconsin, only the Legislature can approve and place ballot questions on the ballot, leaving Wisconsinites little recourse when the Legislature fails toenact policies that have broad public support. Republican lawmakers shouldn'tbe able to ignore the will of the people and then prevent the people from having a voice when legislators fail tolisten. That has tochange. So, this week, I announced I am including a provision in my budget to require the Legislature to allow Wisconsinites to pass binding referenda and enact statutory and constitutional changes through a majority vote at the ballot box. I believe you should have a say and a voice in our state laws and the questions that appear on your ballot. If Republican lawmakers are going to continue to try and legislate by constitutional amendment, then they should give Wisconsinites the same opportunity. It'sthat simple. And that'swhat we'll be asking Republicans to do in my next budget. Let'sget to work, and let'sget it done, folks. Thank you. |
| An online version of this release is available here. |
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