2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-2656/1
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2025 SENATE BILL 212
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.
AN ACT to amend 5.64 (2) (am) of the statutes; relating to: the form of
referendum 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:
SECTION 1. 5.64 (2) (am) of the statutes is amended to read:
5.64 (2) (am) There shall be a separate ballot when any proposed
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4 2025 - 2026 Legislature
SENATE BILL 212
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SECTION 1
constitutional amendment or any other measure or question is submitted to a vote
of the people, except as authorized in s. 5.655. The ballot shall give a concise
statement of each question in accordance with the act or resolution directing
submission in the same form as prescribed by the commission under s. 7.08 (1) (a).
The question 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. The
question shall be in plain language. For a proposed constitutional amendment, the
question shall clearly indicate whether any part of the constitutional amendment is
contained in the statutes in effect as of the date of final passage of the joint
resolution directing that the question be submitted to a vote of the people. Unless
otherwise expressly provided, this ballot form shall be used at all elections when
questions are submitted to a vote of the people.
(END)
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