There will be three state constitutional amendments on your November ballot. While it’s likely that all three will pass, the YSDA editorial board (composed of our publisher, editor and chief editorial writer, all currently occupied by the same person) supports two of them.
Veto overreach. The first amendment would further restrict the Governor’s line item veto authority when it comes to raising taxes or fees. This stems from Gov. Tony Evers’ creative veto that essentially locked in the ability of local school districts to raise per pupil spending by $325 for each of the following 400 years. Even liberal state Supreme Court Justices called this “absurd” and “outrageous” before concluding that the Constitution allowed it anyway. The line item veto is a good thing, but our state Constitution was written in a way that allows it to be taken to crazy lengths, essentially allowing governors to create new laws out of whole cloth. And governors of both parties have done just that, with Republican Tommy Thompson the most egregious offender. This is another sensible step in curbing that overreach. Groups that oppose the amendment, like WEAC, should think again, as this kind of power in the hands of any Governor cuts both ways.
Equality. The next amendment would simply say what most of us think should be obvious: the government can’t provide special treatment to any group based on race or sex. This is obvious to everyone not on the hard-left and so this will pass everywhere in the state, except in Madison. Opponents make two somewhat conflicting arguments. First they say it’s unnecessary as court rulings have already scaled back affirmative action and diversity, equity and inclusion. But then they say that this will be used to further push them back, a dubious claim since existing court rulings are likely to be used to do that anyway. We’ve gone way too far on DEI. We need a return to a commitment to equality, not “equity,” because equality is about justice and “equity” is about payback. And we need a renewed commitment to equal opportunities, not equal outcomes. We need to fight discrimination, not employ discrimination to foolishly try to make up for past grievances.
Places of worship. This one will probably pass outside of Madison as well, but it shouldn’t. It would prohibit the state from shutting down churches during emergencies, like the COVID pandemic. This makes no sense. If a disease can be easily spread through human contact then the virus isn’t going to stop at the church door. Prayer won’t save you, sorry.
Feel free to print off this handy voter guide and carry it with you to your polling place on November 3rd — election day, when all right thinking people go to the polls and vote in person.
Two final thoughts. As a rule, I don’t like this sort of thing. Essentially, Republicans are using the Constitutional amendment process to get around a Democratic governor’s vetos. However, in each of these specific cases (the Governor’s veto authority, non-discrimination and religious freedom) they really are issues of such fundamental interest that, at least in my view, they legitimately rise to the level of inclusion in our Constitution, whether I like the substance or not.
And this is yet another example of how the once respected League of Women Voters has lost its way. The League opposes all three amendments. Why on earth would a good government group oppose an amendment to curb what even some liberals see as excessive gubernatorial power? Because WEAC opposes it. The League is quite simply just another liberal Democratic interest group — which is why it has zero credibility.
And on a completely unrelated note… I’ve often commented on my appreciation for a good obit. Here’s one from the Wisconsin State Journal, written by the family of Charles Steele, who died on September 17th, two days after his 96th birthday:
The time spent with him in the hospital before he passed gave us a chance to reflect on his life lessons or “Chuckisms.” Here are a few: Enjoy life. Salt the watermelon. Swim across a lake. Take a woodcarving class and carve a Santa for each of your grandchildren. Take the trip. Draw cartoons for the fun of it. Eat the last piece of lasagna. Restore an old Falls Flyer boat and call it “Boondoggle.” Call your grandson’s wife a sweetie. Then listen to her read scripture in the hospital. Enjoy a chocolate shake in the hospital for your last hurrah. Watch a Packers game. Say, “I love you.” Make people laugh. Go to church. Let your daughter make you a chef salad after mowing the lawn. Call your caregiver “honeybun.” Root for the Brewers. Name a room in your house “The Art Room.” Sneak a chocolate bar. Become a lifeguard. Teach your daughter how to drive a stick shift. Enjoy a dirty martini with two olives. Snuggle your first grandchild. Spend your time with a cat… and another, and another and another. Go bald but not by choice. Play cards on your picnic table with the neighbors. Send your daughters to Stop ‘n Go on a Sunday with $2.00 so you can watch the Packers game in peace. You know it will take them at least two hours to return. Join the Madison Dive Squad. Be asked to dive down in the Tenney Park Locks and find a lost diamond ring. Score! Paint a picture and another picture and another one. Achieve an Eagle Scout badge. Be a steward for North Central Airlines. Buy property at Lake Camelot and make memories. Remove a tick with a cigarette. Marry the perfect girl. Teach your kids how to water ski. Enjoy a cold brewski. Do a cannonball in your pool after work. Start a Pep Club with your friends as an excuse to take trips and party. Teach your kids how to golf. Attend your kids’ and grandkids’ sporting events. Become a volunteer firefighter. Ride your bike to work. Salt the kohlrabi. Dive in the waves at Lake Camelot with your grandchildren. Enjoy another dirty martini with two olives. Buy that convertible. Tell your caregiver how wonderful she is. Shake dice and drink a Brandy Old Fashioned with your father-in-law. Tell women that you are a professional football player to impress them. Swim three miles a week at the YMCA well into your 80s. Add salt to your beer. Enjoy a steak dinner with your wife after the kids are asleep. Have a boatload of kids. And then name your boat “Faster, Grandpa…” Join the Air Force. Eat the Honey Crisp Apple. Be a Badgers Fan. Tell a dirty joke. Throw $20.00 on black. And when fall arrives, order the Pumpkin Shake!
