(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s latest proposed constitutional amendment is on the fast track to the voters.
The Wisconsin Senate on Wednesday approved the proposal to ask voters whether they want to constitutionally protect the state’s voter ID law.
It was a Republican led party-line 17-15 vote.
“This is not controversial. This is wildly popular,” Sen. Van Wangaarrd, R-Racine said during the debate.
Wangaarrd said lawmakers need to take voter ID to the voters, and protect it in the constitution because the new, liberal-majority Wisconsin Supreme Court has been asked to strike it down.
“Voter ID is popular, easy to get, and important for clean elections,” Sen. Julian Bradley, R-New Berlin, added.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said voter ID laws are common sense. And he says protecting Wisconsin’s voter ID law is paramount.
“You need a photo ID to get married, pick up some medications, open a bank account, buy alcohol, rent or buy a house, and even adopt a pet from the humane society. We have to make sure that voting stays on the long list of things you need a photo ID to do,” LeMahieu said. “Enshrining Voter ID requirements in the constitution will secure Wisconsin elections and make sure that it is easy to vote and hard to cheat.”
Democrats, who have opposed Wisconsin’s voter ID law for years, on Wednesday said the state should be tackling other priorities first.
“Wisconsinites face serious challenges – rising costs and unavailability of childcare, healthcare, housing, and prescription drugs, gun violence threatening the lives of our children, a workforce shortage that threatens our economy, and lack of adequate state funding for our public schools and local public services,” Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, said. “But rather than tackle any of these important issues, Republican politicians are back to their tired playbook – cynical partisan power grabs to rig the system so they can keep power, this time by putting anti-voter measures in our state constitution.”
The proposed amendment wouldn’t change anything about Wisconsin’s voter ID law. It would not add new restrictions or change what can be used as a valid ID at the polls.
Instead, the amendment would make it much more difficult to get rid of voter ID.
Wednesday’s vote was the second time that the State Senate has approved the amendment, lawmakers approved the same plan in the last session.
The Wisconsin Assembly will take up the proposed amendment next. That vote is scheduled for next week.
