2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-2656/1
MPG:skw
April 16, 2025 - Introduced by Senators Habush Sinykin, Wall, Roys, Ratcliff, Dassler-Alfheim, Hesselbein, Keyeski, Drake and Spreitzer, cosponsored by Representatives Andraca, Snodgrass, Joers, DeSmidt, Rivera-Wagner, Brown, Sheehan, Roe, Fitzgerald, Clancy, Prado, Subeck, Sinicki, Madison, Tenorio, Vining, Ortiz-Velez, Mayadev, Johnson and Miresse. Referred to Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs.
SB212,1,2
1An Act to amend 5.64 (2) (am) of the statutes; relating to: the form of
2referendum questions. Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, any referendum question submitted to the voters, including to approve or reject a constitutional amendment, must be concise and may not be worded in such a manner as to require a negative vote to approve a proposition or an affirmative vote to disapprove a proposition.
This bill adds the requirement that the referendum question be in plain language. The bill additionally adds the requirement that for a proposed constitutional amendment, the question must clearly indicate whether any part of the constitutional amendment is contained in the statutes as of the date of final passage of the joint resolution directing that the question be submitted to a vote of the people.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SB212,13Section 1. 5.64 (2) (am) of the statutes is amended to read: SB212,2,1245.64 (2) (am) There shall be a separate ballot when any proposed
1constitutional amendment or any other measure or question is submitted to a vote 2of the people, except as authorized in s. 5.655. The ballot shall give a concise 3statement of each question in accordance with the act or resolution directing 4submission in the same form as prescribed by the commission under s. 7.08 (1) (a). 5The question may not be worded in such a manner as to require a negative vote to 6approve a proposition or an affirmative vote to disapprove a proposition. The 7question shall be in plain language. For a proposed constitutional amendment, the 8question shall clearly indicate whether any part of the constitutional amendment is 9contained in the statutes in effect as of the date of final passage of the joint 10resolution directing that the question be submitted to a vote of the people. Unless 11otherwise expressly provided, this ballot form shall be used at all elections when 12questions are submitted to a vote of the people.
