(The Center Square) – Wisconsin voters are projected to approve a constitutional amendment to limit the partial veto power of governors.
Multiple media outlets called on Wednesday morning that the measure would pass by a narrow margin when unofficial results showed that 50.7% of voters approved the change and 49.3% were against it with 98% of ballots counted in the unofficial totals.
The raw numbers showed 1,302,896 "Yes" votes and 1,266,838 that voted "No."
The measure blocks future governors from using a partial veto to “create or increase or authorize the creation or increase of any tax or fee.”
Outgoing Gov. Tony Evers used the current veto power to erase numbers and a hyphen to change the year “2024-25” to “2425” in a school appropriation in the budget bill.
That meant a $325 per student per year funding increase for the next 400 years was allowed and later upheld in a 4-3 ruling from the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
A statewide constitutional amendment to prevent the state from closing places of worship during emergencies failed with 52.0% saying no and 48.0% approving the measure with more than 95% votes in the state in.
A constitutional amendment to prevent discrimination passed with 56% voting “Yes” and 44% against the measure.
The amendment prevents government entities, including public colleges and universities, from discriminating or granting preferential treatment on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin.
The undecided ballot initiative came after Evers 400-year tax increase that Republican Tom Tiffany said he would repeal. Governor-elect David Crowley, however, does not intend to overturn the measure.
A recent Marquette Poll showed that 52% of voters believe the veto will mean tax increases each year for centuries while 46% said that the move was necessary to support public schools in the long run.
Democrats have complained that Wisconsin’s schools are not “fully funded” and that more state funding is needed to limit the amount of school districts that need to use referendum to fund capital projects or operations.
With control of the governor’s office and both branches of the Wisconsin Legislature, the power will now be in the hands of Democrats to show what “fully funded” means and how the state will spend its $3 billion surplus.
During the lone governor debate, Crowley vowed to increase spending on education, child care and healthcare with the surplus but did not give specifics.
“When it comes to the surplus, it’s about making sure that you’re not only listening to the communities in need but you’re working with the state Legislature,” Crowley said.