LETTER: Reject referendums seeking control of emergency funds

To Ozaukee Press:

Please be aware of an Aug. 13 primary election with two critical ballot referendums proposing that Wisconsin’s constitution be amended. The same Republicans who rigged our maps by gerrymandering hope to trick us into letting them seize the governor’s authority to allocate federal emergency funds coming to Wisconsin.

We all need to turn out and vote “no” on these two amendments to our state’s constitution. Neither of the amendments is appropriate. The legislature should not have sole power to determine how federal money coming to the state would be spent. The proposed Amendments read: 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?”

If there is a tornado or flood or other emergency, do we want funding tied up in the Legislature and subject to partisan games and obstruction? Do we want those decisions in the hands of a Legislature that has blocked money to clean toxic chemicals from water, and tried to block the way money could be spent to prevent hospitals from closing?

The backers of these amendments hope we will not turn out to vote on Aug. 13. Protect our democracy. Do not let power hungry legislators dismantle it through amending our state’s constitution. Vote early or by absentee ballot if necessary to save our democracy.

Marcia Kaminski

Grafton