Wisconsin
Wisconsin Republicans ask voters to take away governor's power to spend federal money
Wisconsin Republicans are asking voters to take away the governor’s power to unilaterally spend federal money, a reaction to the billions of dollars that flowed into the state during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers was free to spend most of that money as he pleased, directing most of it toward small businesses and economic development, angering Republicans who argued the Legislature should have oversight.
That’s what would happen under a pair of related constitutional amendments up for voter approval in the Aug. 13 primary election. The changes would apply to Evers and all future governors and cover any federal money to the state that comes without specific spending requirements, often in response to disasters or other emergencies.
Democrats and other opponents are mobilizing against the amendments, calling them a legislative power grab that would hamstring governors’ ability to quickly respond to a future natural disaster, economic crisis or health emergency.
If the amendments pass, Wisconsin’s government “will become even more dysfunctional,” said Julie Keown-Bomar, executive director of Wisconsin Farmers Union.
“Wisconsinites are so weary of riding the partisan crazy train, but it is crucial that we show up at the polls and vote ‘no’ on these changes as they will only make us go further off the rails,” she said in a statement.
But Republicans and other backers say it’s a necessary check on the governor’s current power, which they say is too broad.
The changes increase “accountability, efficiency, and transparency,” Republican state Sen. Howard Marklein, a co-sponsor of the initiative, said at a legislative hearing.
The two questions, which were proposed as a single amendment and then separated on the ballot, passed the GOP-controlled Legislature twice as required by law. Voter approval is needed before they would be added to the state constitution. The governor has no veto power over constitutional amendments.
Early, in-person absentee voting for the Aug. 13 election begins Tuesday across the state and goes through Aug. 11. Locations and times for early voting vary.
Wisconsin Republicans have increasingly turned to voters to approve constitutional amendments as a way to get around Evers’ vetoes. Midway through his second term, Evers has vetoed more bills than any governor in Wisconsin history.
In April, voters approved amendments to bar the use of private money to run elections and reaffirm that only election officials can work the polls. In November, an amendment on the ballot seeks to clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote in local elections.
Republicans put this question on the August primary ballot, the first time a constitutional amendment has been placed in that election where turnout is much lower than in November.
The effort to curb the governor’s spending power also comes amid ongoing fights between Republicans and Evers over the extent of legislative authority. Evers in July won a case in the Wisconsin Supreme Court that challenged the power the GOP-controlled Legislature’s budget committee had over conservation program spending.
Wisconsin governors were given the power to decide how to spend federal money by the Legislature in 1931, during the Great Depression, according to a report from the Legislative Reference Bureau.
“Times have changed and the influx of federal dollars calls for a different approach,” Republican Rep. Robert Wittke, who sponsored the amendment, said at a public hearing.
It was a power that was questioned during the Great Recession in 2008, another time when the state received a large influx of federal aid.
But calls for change intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic when the federal government handed Wisconsin $5.7 billion in aid between March 2020 and June 2022 in federal coronavirus relief. Only $1.1 billion came with restrictions on how it could be spent.
Most of the money was used for small business and local government recovery grants, buying emergency health supplies and paying health care providers to offset the costs of the pandemic.
Republicans pushed for more oversight, but Evers vetoed a GOP bill in 2021 that would have required the governor to submit a plan to the Legislature’s budget committee for approval.
Republican increased the pressure for change following the release of a nonpartisan audit in 2022 that found Evers wasn’t transparent about how he decided where to direct the money.
One amendment specifies the Legislature can’t delegate its power to decide how money is spent. The second prohibits the governor from spending federal money without legislative approval.
If approved, the Legislature could pass rules governing how federal money would be handled. That would give them the ability to change the rules based on who is serving as governor or the purpose of the federal money.
For example, the Legislature could allow governors to spend disaster relief money with no approval, but require that other money go before lawmakers first.
Opposing the measures are voting rights groups, the Wisconsin Democratic Party and a host of other liberal organizations, including those who fought to overturn Republican-drawn legislative maps, the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice.
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the state’s largest business lobbying group, and the Badger Institute, a conservative think tank, were the only groups that registered in support in the Legislature.
Wisconsin
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff stumps for Vice President Harris in Wisconsin
MINNEAPOLIS — Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will campaign for his wife, Vice President Harris, on Saturday in Wisconsin.
WSAW reports Emhoff will visit and speak at the seventh annual Hmong Wausau Festival.
He will then head to a canvass launch for Harris and other Democrats on the ballot in Stevens Point, according to the Portage County Wisconsin Democrats Facebook page.
Emhoff has made several trips to Minnesota in the past four years to campaign for President Biden and DFL Party candidates, including a visit in March to tout a $20 million federal grant for the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. He also visited St. Paul’s Afro Deli last year to present owner Adirahman Kahin with the National Small Business Owner of the Year award.
On Saturday, former President Donald Trump and running mate Sen. JD Vance will hold their first joint presidential rally in Minnesota at St. Cloud’s Herb Brooks Arena.
Vance will also appear at a fundraiser earlier in the day in Minneapolis. Entry to that event costs $3,300, with tickets up to $50,000 for a roundtable discussion and a photo with the candidate.
Wisconsin
Where Wisconsin football lands in NCAA graduation rates for 2022-23 year
Wisconsin football boasted an 89% graduation for the 2022-23 academic year, or for the 2016 student cohort.
The Badgers are tied for No. 10 among the 66-team list. As of this season, 68 schools will make up the Power Four this fall.
In addition to Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska, SMU, UCF and West Virginia also held an 89% college football graduation rate last year. Clemson, Boston College, Cincinnati, Northwestern and Wake Forest make up the top five — with each school at a 97% graduation rate or higher.
For reference, Big Ten rivals Penn State, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio State also post an 87% or higher. Washington, Iowa, Oregon, Rutgers, USC, Purdue, Maryland and USC all float at or above 64%.
Wisconsin’s 2022-23 graduation rate is nearly identical to its average of 89.6% from the past five years. That tally has increased since it sat near 70% in the mid-2010s.
In April, U.S. news ranked the University of Wisconsin-Madison as the Big Ten’s No. 5 school academically behind only USC, UCLA, Michigan and Northwestern. The publication had UW as the No. 35 overall university in the United States.
What’s more, Forbes’ recent list of ‘Public Ivies’ included Wisconsin. Michigan, Illinois and Maryland also made the cut.
Long story short, UW not only offers its attendees a fantastic athletic scene, but it also prioritizes its academics.
Story originally appeared on Badgers Wire
Wisconsin
Healthy Climate Wisconsin advocates for pollution solutions
OAK CREEK, Wisc. — Air pollution is a major concern in Southeast Wisconsin for many people.
To fight back, Sister Janet Weyker and Dr. Victoria Gillet joined the efforts of a local non-profit: Healthy Climate Wisconsin.
“We’re part of a greater planet and we are all connected,” said Weyker.
Sister Janet says her passion for fighting against fossil fuels comes after years of seeing her fellow neighbors suffering from breathing problems and respiratory diseases.
Watch: Healthy Climate Wisconsin advocates for pollution solutions
Healthy Climate Wisconsin advocates for pollution solutions
“They are our brothers and sisters as well. So, it’s a matter of environmental justice, racial justice, and preserving our planet,” said Weyker.
As a primary care doctor, Dr. Gillet says her work revolves around helping her patients feel their best, which can be tough when they have to fight for more than just their health.
“But, it’s not enough to make sure that they stay well. They really need to have a healthy environment that they live in – both the climate as a whole and the individual factors that are impacting them from a day to day basis,” said Dr. Gillet.
Sister Janet and Dr. Gillet say Healthy Climate Wisconsin’s mission is to find better solutions for pollution and uplift communities who are asking for change.
“We need to stop the infrastructure from expanding and reduce our use of fossil fuels and put our money into renewable energies,” said Weyker.
“We deserve energy sources that make us healthy and keep us safe,” said Dr. Gillet.
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