Wisconsin Republican Party Explains Why Zuckerberg Constitutional Amendment Won’t be on Ballot for Voters in 2023

Madison – In response to a Republican party member’s inquiry involving the placement of a constitutional amendment question on the statewide April 2023 ballot, prohibiting any infusion of Zuckerberg monies to assist in the administration of elections in Wisconsin, the Republican Party of Wisconsin Communications Director explains why the Republican Party of Wisconsin doesn’t want the constitutional amendment on the April 2023 ballot.

The Republican Party of Wisconsin believes that a statewide constitutional amendment ballot question on banning Zuckerberg monies from assisting the administration of elections in Wisconsin would dilute messaging for voters with too many amendments to consider on the ballot and increase turnout for democrats with their “save democracy” rhetoric.

Instead, the Republican Party of Wisconsin believes that bail and welfare reform amendments would resonate more for voters, based on their polling with the republican base, moderates and independents, than the election integrity amendment banning Zuckerberg monies assisting with the administration of elections.

A statewide poll conducted in March of 2022 (See attached Poll 1 & 2) of 500 identified republicans, showed that addressing the Zuckerberg issue of assisting in the administration of elections in Wisconsin was an 84% positive issue with the republican base wanting the legislature to immediately address this matter.

Zuckerberg monies, in the millions, continue to pour into Wisconsin and the administration of elections at the Clerk level and college campuses to get out the vote.

The Wisconsin Assembly and Senate Republicans passed AJR Joint Resolution 134 in the 2021-22 Session that would put the prohibition of any Wisconsin Clerk or community from ever receiving any private funds (Zuckerberg) to assist in the administration of elections in Wisconsin to a statewide ballot initiative in the form of a constitutional amendment.

Zuckerberg’s funding and assisting with the administration of elections in Wisconsin during the 2020 Presidential Election, came under heavy scrutiny and was the subject of a couple of investigations and reviews approved by the Wisconsin Legislature and Republican Assembly Speaker Vos (R-Rochester) and revealed many violations of State Election Law by the Zuckerberg relationship(s) with some Clerks (Special Counsel Report, March 1, 2022 – Microsoft Word – OSC Second Interim Report (wisconsin.gov) and Legislative Audit Bureau Report, October 19, 2021 – Elections Administration | full report (wisconsin.gov).

Zuckerberg’s funding and assisting with the administration of elections in Wisconsin clearly had an effect on the 2020 Presidential Election in heavy blue areas (democrats) in the collective effort to get out the vote for democrats.

One of the largest recipients of Zuckerberg private funding ($3.4 million) to assist with the administration of elections was the City of Milwaukee.

To the credit of Speaker Vos (R-Rochester), he helped facilitate the approval of AJR 134 in the 2021-22 Session of the Assembly and Senate.

Wisconsin requires a constitutional amendment to be passed in two consecutive Legislative Sessions before it can be placed on a statewide ballot for voter consideration.

The Author of AJR 134 (Rep. August – R Lake Geneva – Rep. August Home (wisconsin.gov)) has to reintroduce AJR 134 for this Session to be approved the second time with a new number.

The Assembly Rules Committee (2023 Committee on Rules (wisconsin.gov)), must then approve AJR 134 to be moved to the Assembly Floor for a vote.

Rep. August and Speaker Vos are the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Assembly Rules Committee controlled by Republicans that will approve and move AJR 134 to the floor for a vote.

The Wisconsin Assembly’s last Floor Session for this week is today, January 19th (Assembly Home (wisconsin.gov)).  AJR 134 is not on today’s agenda, but bail and welfare reform is (Assembly Home (wisconsin.gov)).

The Wisconsin Senate is in adjournment.

The January Wisconsin Assembly Floorperiod is January 17-26, and the February Wisconsin Assembly Floorperiod is February 14-16 (Calendar (wisconsin.gov))

Speaker Vos can call the Assembly into Session during these floor periods.

After Wisconsin Republican Assembly Speaker Vos (R-Rochester) absolutely promised his fellow legislators last year that he would immediately have AJR 134 (will receive new number in 2023-24 Session) approved in the next Legislative Session, the consideration of passage for AJR 134 during the January 2023 Flooperiod has stalled (Calendar (wisconsin.gov)).

AJR 134 must be reintroduced now, approved by the Rules Committee and voted on by the entire Assembly in the January or February Flooperiods in order to be placed on the April 2023 ballot for the mailing of absentee ballots after the February 21, 2023, Spring Primary, that involves the Supreme Court Race.

24 states have outright banned or severely restricted any acceptance of Zuckerberg monies to assist in the administration of elections in their state.  Of course, democrat governors have vetoed any measures that would ban Zuckerberg infiltration of elections in their state.

Wisconsin voters can contact Speaker Vos, Rep. August, their Assembly Representative, their State Senator and the Assembly Rules Committee as follows to get AJR 134 passed now allowing for the constitutional amendment question of banning Zuckerberg monies to be placed on the April 2023 ballot:

• Speaker Vos (R-Rochester) – Speaker Robin Vos (wisconsin.gov)
• Rep. August (R-Lake Geneva) – Rep. August Home (wisconsin.gov)
• Assembly Representative – 2023 Wisconsin State Representatives
• State Senator – 2023 Wisconsin State Senators
• Assembly Rules Committee – 2023 Committee on Rules (wisconsin.gov)

Here is a letter sent out by the Wisconsin GOP to a Republican voter in Wisconsin.

Ronald —

We have heard concerns over what referendums the Legislature will be passing for the ballot this spring. Below you will find an explanation behind why it will most likely just be a constitutional amendment proposal on bail decisions and welfare reform.

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

From: Rachel Reisner
Communications Director
Republican Party of Wisconsin
   Constitutional Amendment on Bail

The purpose behind the bail resolution is to protect Wisconsin communities from violent crime.

Wisconsin has been experiencing a major crime wave for some time with countless crimes committed by criminals given low bail or no bail.

From the worst example of the Waukesha parade tragedy to murders of a Milwaukee grandma being murdered, local law enforcement, and even a local firefighter – low bail is leading to more crime.

Our current bail laws have made it increasingly difficult to keep our communities safe.

Our current bail policies banks on the honor of defendants arrested for violent crimes.

Our statutes only allow bail conditions to be set to guarantee the defendant’s reappearance in court.

There are currently 48 other states that allow courts to consider “dangerousness” of a criminal in determining bail.

There are 9 states that are only limited to “excessive bail.”

There are 22 states that guarantee bail except given certain circumstances.

Unfortunately, soft-on-crime approaches have failed Wisconsin. Just look at the gut wrenching examples that seem to be habitual for DA John Chisholm.

The most devastating example is Darrell Brooks, a repeat offender who was released on $1,000 bail.

The amendment is a commonsense proposal that would help judges while not eliminating the right to bail.

The amendment would allow judges to assign bail based on violent and non-violent crimes, and take additional factors into consideration when setting bail (like previous conviction for violent crime or flight risk).

Why not other amendments?

Having several amendments on a ballot dilutes messaging for the referendums and too many messages make it difficult for any of them to stick with voters.

Bail and welfare reform were two areas that resonated most with our base, moderate Republicans and independents – polling showed approval of over 75%.

While Republicans in the legislature would like to eliminate ‘Zuckerbucks,’ an amendment would invite Democrats to rehash their ridiculous 2020 narrative and increase turnout with their hollow “save democracy” rhetoric.

The Zuckerbucks constitutional amendment (from last session):

As the new legislative session just began, the Zuckerbucks resolution has not yet been re-introduced.

Therefore, it was never “pulled” from the calendar.

The bill author last session was our new Assembly Majority Leader, Rep. Tyler August.

Republican Party of Brown County, Wisconsin
http://www.bcrepublicans.net/

Republican Party of Brown County, Wisconsin · 1780 Allouez Ave, Green Bay, WI 54301, United States
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