Yearly Archives: 2024

(The Center Square) – Voters across Wisconsin said yes to a lot of things on their ballots Tuesday.

Both of the state’s proposed constitutional amendments to keep outside money out of election operations passed, and a quarter-billion-dollar tax increase for Milwaukee Public Schools also likely gained approval.

The first amendment, which bans so-called “Zuckerbucks,” passed with about 54% of the vote. The second question, which bans outside election workers from working in Wisconsin, passed with about 58% of the vote.

Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Green Bay, said Wisconsin voters made it clear that they want to keep out-of-state billionaires out of their elections.

“Whether there is actual election tampering or not, an impression of an injustice is as detrimental to society as an actual injustice. People need policies and procedures that instill confidence in the vote result, even if they don’t like the result. These amendments help create that confidence,” Wimberger said in a statement.

The amendments mean outside groups like the Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life will not be able to offer election grants like they did in the 2020 election.

Uninstructed voters

While both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump easily won primaries, Biden’s campaign may have cause to worry.

The Uninstructed Campaign saw more than 39,000 Democrats vote against President Biden on Tuesday.

The campaign urged Democrats and progressives to vote “uninstructed” as a way to protest the war in Gaza and pressure Biden into ending it.

The 39,000 votes are significant.

Biden won Wisconsin by about 22,000 votes in 2020, and he could lose the state this year if those uninstructed voters don’t vote for him in November.

Overall, Biden won the Democratic primary with 88% of the vote, and Trump won the Republican primary with 79% of the vote.

MPS Referendum Appears To Pass

It could take a little while to know if Milwaukee Public Schools will be getting a quarter-billion-dollar per-year tax increase.

The district’s $252 million referendum appeared to pass Tuesday.

The city’s school district says the ‘yes’ vote carried with 51% of the vote, but there’s only a 1,720-vote gap. Milwaukee’s election managers say they are waiting to count all of the city’s absentee ballots to declare the election complete.

MPS Superintendent Keith Posley said after Tuesday’s vote that the yes vote is a huge win for kids.

"MPS is grateful to the city’s voters for supporting our continued efforts to help students succeed in school and in life,” Posley said.

Opponents spent nearly a half-million dollars trying to defeat the tax hike question.

President Joe Biden is under fire after the White House banned religious imagery for Easter this year and then proceeded to make this year’s Easter officially “Transgender Visibility Day.”

It’s unclear whether the White House choosing to mark the most important Christian holiday as a transgender holiday was an intentional decision or a political gaffe.

“The Biden White House has betrayed the central tenet of Easter – which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Banning sacred truth and tradition – while at the same time proclaiming Easter Sunday as ‘Transgender Day’ – is outrageous and abhorrent. The American people are taking note.”

Biden posted on X Sunday honoring the new holiday.

“On Transgender Day of Visibility, we celebrate the joy, strength, and absolute courage of some of the bravest people I know,” Biden wrote. “Today, we show millions of transgender and nonbinary Americans that we see them, they belong, and they should be treated with dignity and respect.”

After that, the criticism poured in.

“This is what Biden cares about and who he caters to. He is devaluing Easter and elevating trans recognition,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Downright shameful and despicable.”

The decision may backfire politically, and the Trump campaign quickly took the opportunity to blast Biden and call for him to apologize.

One senator called for firing the person responsible.

“Aside from being disgraceful and insulting to Christians, declaring a trans day of visibility on Easter Sunday is just *weird,*” Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, wrote on X. “The White House should apologize. Then Biden should fire whoever is responsible.”

Next year, Easter, the Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion, will be on April 20 and thus avoid the same conflict with the now official Transgender Day of Visibility, which will remain on March 31.

Notably, on the White House’s Spanish-speaking X account, they did not celebrate transgender visibility day but instead honored Easter and César Chávez Day.

“Apparently the White House fears that Spanish-speaking Americans might be offended by Biden’s decision to conflate Easter with ‘Transgender Day of Visibility’ – perhaps to an even greater degree than English speakers,” U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote on X. “Mr. President: it’s offensive to Christians – in all languages.”

(The Center Square) – he presidential contest in Wisconsin is all but decided, but voters will have some important choices on their ballots on Tuesday.

The spring primary will feature two constitutional amendments, nearly 100 school referendum questions and local races in communities across the state.

Constitutional Amendments

Wisconsin voters are being asked to ban outside money in the state’s election in a pair of constitutional amendments.

The first amendment deals with the so-called Zuckerbucks. Republican lawmakers pushed the proposal through the legislature after Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a state law that would have banned outside charities and non-profits from spending money on election operations.

The move comes after the Center for Tech and Civic Life spent about $6 million in Wisconsin during the November 2020 election. Almost all of that money went to the state’s five largest and most Democratic cities.

Republican lawmakers have said Zuckerbucks undermine people’s faith in the state’s electoral process.

The other amendment would make it clear only local elected leaders can manage elections. This too is tied to the 2020 election.

Emails showed the CTCL all but took over the election operation in Green Bay. CTCL workers had keys to the election office and access to both ballots and the voting list.

The amendment would specifically exclude anyone who is not an elected official or government worker from election management.

School referenda

Dozens of schools across Wisconsin are asking taxpayers for more money on Tuesday.

Ninety-one school districts have referendum questions on the ballot. Most are for day-to-day operations and to cover what the schools say are the “ongoing costs of inflation.”

The largest school tax question is the $252 million ask by Milwaukee Public Schools.

All of that money is earmarked for teacher salaries and school programs.

Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Keith Posley said over the weekend if the referendum fails, there will be cuts.

“We have a referendum budget, a ‘yes’ referendum budget and no referendum budget," Posley said. "And in the ‘no’ referendum budget, there's major cuts."

There has been no shortage of critics of the MPS referendum.

Both the city’s chamber and the Greater Milwaukee Committee, along with business leaders and others have said Milwaukee Public Schools are asking for a quarter-billion dollars more each year, for years to come while continuing to deliver some of the worst educational outcomes for kids in the entire country.

Local races

Voters will also be picking leaders for the government that is closest to home. Thousands of school board seats, as well as seats for town council and city council, and even judgeships are on Tuesday’s ballot.

There has been a lot of spending on school board races in Wisconsin.

New campaign finance reports show the Democratic Party of Wisconsin has spent $200,000 on local school board races. The same campaign reports show that Wisconsin Republicans have yet to spend any money on local school board races.

Polls open across Wisconsin at 7 a.m. and stay open until 8 p.m.