There are two referendums relating to the election process on the April 2nd ballot. If they are passed by voters, they would immediately amend the Wisconsin Constitution. Voters will see more referendums in August and November. They are part of an increasing reliance of ballot referendums by state Republicans to make constitutional changes and propel a conservative agenda. 

Today’s guest, journalist Jack Kelly tells host Jessa Nicholson Goetz that historically referendums were either government functions or very classically Wisconsin things. “Some of the previous amendments that we’ve seen were changing things about the way that fees were collected, or codifying the right to hunt and fish.” He goes on to say, “the amendments that we see now are rooted in policy arguments and policy disputes between the Republican controlled legislature and Governor Evers.”

Jack Kelly is the statehouse reporter at Wisconsin Watch. He previously was a Wisconsin Watch contributing reporter on judicial and environmental issues and covered the statehouse for the Capital Times. He has a bachelor’s degree from UW-Madison and a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Photo by Chali Pittman for WORT News

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