Madison Reporter

The Wisconsin Assembly has taken significant steps this week to address election integrity, higher education reforms, and workforce strengthening. Multiple measures were passed by both the Assembly and the Senate, including constitutional amendments that will now be placed on a statewide ballot for approval.

One of the key measures passed is the prohibition of out-of-state billionaires from funding election administration. This provision aims to prevent individuals like Mark Zuckerberg from influencing how elections are run in Wisconsin. The Assembly believes that elections should not be for sale and that large sums of money should not be targeted to specific Democratic strongholds. This provision has passed both houses of the legislature and will now be put to a vote in April 2024.

Another important measure is the affirmation that only US citizens are eligible to vote. This provision aims to preempt the concerning trend observed in other states where non-citizens are being allowed to vote in elections. Similar to the previous provision, this measure has passed both houses of the legislature and will go to the voters for approval in November 2024.

The requirement of a photo ID to vote is another key aspect of ensuring election integrity in Wisconsin. The Assembly has passed a resolution to put this common-sense provision into the state's constitution, ensuring that it cannot be ignored or struck down by an activist court. If passed in the next legislative session, this will be the first time the resolution has received approval from both houses and will be put to a vote.

In the area of higher education reforms, the Assembly has passed several provisions aimed at addressing certain practices in institutions of higher education. These include prohibiting UW schools and tech colleges from restricting the free speech rights of students, ensuring that race-based decision making is not used in various higher education programs, and guaranteeing college admission to Wisconsin high school students who excel academically. These reforms aim to protect students' freedom of expression, comply with recent Supreme Court decisions, and retain talented students within the state.

Lastly, the Assembly has recognized the pressing need to strengthen the workforce in Wisconsin. To address the workforce shortage, bills were passed to boost funding for manufacturing-related education in schools. This includes grants for new manufacturing training equipment in tech colleges and an updated and expanded Tech Ed grant program for local school districts.

By taking these measures, the Assembly aims to ensure the integrity of elections, promote fair access to education, and strengthen the state's workforce. These initiatives have received bipartisan support and will now be presented to the voters for their approval.

Click this link to access more information: https://mailchi.mp/8dd52c65e537/protecting-election-integrity?e=0c8b823425