CONTACT: Mike Nichols: mike@badgerinstitute.org or (262) 389-8239

MILWAUKEE — About one month before Wisconsinites vote on whether to amend the state constitution, the Badger Institute today launched a campaign to ensure voters are equipped with the information they need about the proposed reform to state spending.

“We’ve spent years researching and reporting on how ‘free’ federal grants are used in often wasteful, harmful ways with no accountability,” said Mike Nichols, president of the institute. “A ‘yes’ vote on the constitutional amendments on the August ballot will help hold the politicians accountable for billions of dollars in spending.”

The Badger Institute is recommending that voters approve the two-question proposal on the ballot on Aug. 13. The proposal would amend the constitution so that money sent to the state government by the federal government would be subject to the same legislative oversight and deliberation as all other state spending is.

The institute published a 131-page book in 2018, Federal Grant$tanding, detailing how federal grants — which make up about a third of Wisconsin’s state spending — often undermine local control. Since then, its Tracking the Trillions project has detailed misuse and lack of oversight over pandemic funding controlled solely by the governor’s office. Our 2022 Mandate for Madison also included a chapter on the subject. An article published today applies those principles to frequently asked questions regarding the state’s constitutional amendment vote.

“This is a non-partisan issue that all Wisconsinites should be able to agree upon,” said Nichols. “Federal money is often needed in emergencies. But it’s often spent haphazardly. Federal debt is exploding and we need to make sure there are appropriate checks and balances. All voters, all taxpayers, deserve a say through their elected officials.”

The project is available online at https://www.badgerinstitute.org/wisconsin-constitutional-amendment-vote-august-13-2024/.

The Badger Institute is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institute established in 1987 working to engage and energize Wisconsinites and others in discussions and timely action on key public policy issues critical to the state’s future, growth and prosperity.