Governor Tony Evers proposes pathway for citizens to create laws

In the governor’s conference room of the Wisconsin State Capitol, an inscription on the ceiling reads, “The will of the people is the law of the land.” But one could argue, as does the current governor, that the sentiment is not true in practice. 

Under current Wisconsin law, voters don’t have the ability to repeal or place laws on the ballot without legislative approval. Governor Tony Evers announced Monday that he wants to change that by including a pathway for binding referenda and constitutional amendments in his 2025-2027 biennial budget proposal to “enshrine the will of the people.” 

The announcement was made public the same day the Legislature kicked off its two-year session. Republicans will remain in control, but they will be governing with the smallest majority since they took control of the legislature in 2011— in large part because of newly drawn legislative maps that blocked a long GOP gerrymander.

“I’m hopeful that as we ring in a new year in Wisconsin after fair maps, we will see a legislature that’s more collaborative, more responsive, and reflects the will of the people in the state,” Evers said, speaking to press ahead of the announcement.

 “Republican lawmakers shouldn’t be able to ignore the will of the people and then prevent the people from having a voice when the Legislature fails to listen. That has to change.”

Evers cited a growing list of issues that a majority of Wisconsinites support but have either stalled under Republican leadership or been ignored altogether, including reproductive freedom, Medicaid expansion, legalizing marijuana, and gun safety. 

Because a majority of Wisconsinites support these items, it’s almost certain that they will be included in the governor’s budget when it is formally released next month. 

Evers’ proposal for citizen-led ballot measures isn’t new (24 other states allow it). In the aftermath of the US Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, Evers proposed a similar ballot measure when he called a special session to repeal the state’s 1849 abortion ban so that women’s healthcare rights might be restored to levels seen under Roe. 

Republicans failed to hold a debate in that special session, gaveling in and out within seconds — a familiar habit during Evers tenure. 

Not only have GOP leaders ignored Evers’ special session pleas, they also routinely discount his entire budget proposals and start their own from scratch. While that may happen again, Evers is counting on finding some Republican lawmakers to support his referendum plan rather than face voters’ questions about why they oppose the chance to let democracy run its course over citizen suggestions for the state’s constitution.