Upcoming Ballot Questions
April 2nd Presidential Primary
In just over a week, Wisconsinites will take to the polls for the spring primary election. On the ballot are two elections-related questions to keep an eye out for. Below is some helpful information about the questions.
QUESTION 1: “Use of private funds in election administration. Shall section 7 (1) of article III of the constitution be created to provide that private donations and grants may not be applied for, accepted, expended, or used in connection with the conduct of any primary, election, or referendum?”
QUESTION 2: “Election officials. Shall section 7 (2) of article III of the constitution be created to provide that only election officials designated by law may perform tasks in the conduct of primaries, elections, and referendums?”
These constitutional amendments are designed to prevent the type of outside influence in our elections that we saw happen with Mark Zuckerberg in Green Bay. By prohibiting this type of outside, private influence in our elections, we can ensure that they are safe, fair, and secure.
August 13th Partisan Primary
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 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?”
These questions are about how the state spends money it receives from the federal government — which the Governor currently has sole authority over. With little to no oversight over how the Governor spends money the state receives from the federal government, the elected members of the State Legislature are completely cut out of the decision-making process. These amendments would require there to be Legislative approval before any Governor can allocate federal funding.
November 5th General Election
QUESTION 1: “Eligibility to vote. Shall section 1 of article III of the constitution, which deals with suffrage, be amended to provide that only a United States citizen age 18 or older who resides in an election district may vote in an election for national, state, or local office or at a statewide or local referendum?”
This constitutional amendment will change the current wording from “every” to “only” to prevent illegal immigrants from voting in municipal elections. By eliminating any confusion over wording, election clerks will have ultimate clarity in ensuring that only legal, qualified US citizens are voting in our elections.
Five Bills Signed into Law this Week!
It was a big week for bill signings in our office! Five of our bills from this session were signed into law this week, ranging from expanding mental health resources in schools to providing greater opportunity for visually impaired individuals to participate in the workforce.
Another bill signed into law will ensure that students will never experience strip searches by school officials in Wisconsin. This bill was prompted by the unfortunate events that occurred in the Suring School District in 2022, when several girls were forced to strip down to their underwear to be searched by a school official. I am extremely pleased to see this bill make it across the finish line, so that students and parents can trust that something like this will never happen again in our schools.
Two more bills will expand and clarify specific tax exemptions for various services in Wisconsin. The first extends the exemption from the antiquated personal property tax to telephone companies — which were not included in the exemption in the state budget. The second clarifies that multiple listing services (MLS’s) are sales tax exempt. MLS’s are databases used by real estate brokers to see information on properties for sale, ultimately to connect homebuyers with sellers. Before this bill was signed, the law was unintentionally ambiguous in this area, which created confusion about whether these services were sales tax exempt.
This brings the total number of bills I’ve had signed into law this session to 8! It has been a highly productive, rewarding session and I look forward to using the next few months to prepare for next session.
Request a Wisconsin Blue Book
You can now request a 2023-24 Wisconsin Blue Book! Blue Books are a fantastic resource to learn about Wisconsin’s government, geography, history, and so much more. And, they’re FREE! If you would like a Blue Book, email my office at Rep.Steffen@legis.
Follow Along on Facebook
Want to hear more about what’s going on in Madison and the district? Follow my Facebook page for weekly updates and to learn more about bills, events, and efforts I’m involved in. Find my Facebook page here: facebook.com/RepSteffen/.
Contact Me
My office is always available to help with any state-related questions or concerns you may have. You can reach my office at (608) 237-9104, or email me at Rep.Steffen@legis.wisconsin.
