August 2024 Legislative Update 

Wisconsin Primary Election 2024: Election Results and Analysis.  Wisconsin held its state primary election yesterday, August 13. State legislative and U.S. congressional races with competitive partisan primaries were decided, while voters also weighed in on two statewide referenda for proposed constitutional amendments. See this page for more information about the 2024 elections in Wisconsin, including a full list of the candidates and results. Just over 1.2 million voters cast a ballot in yesterday’s election, about 26 percent of the state’s voting-age population, the highest in 60 years for a Wisconsin state primary during a presidential election year.

The August primary was absent a big-ticket race, but it was not short on intrigue and impact. The most notable statewide contest was over two proposed constitutional amendments, both of which failed by a wide margin. Many see this outcome as a victory for Gov. Tony Evers (D). The amendments sought to curb the Governor’s ability to spend certain federal funds without legislative approval. Republicans in the legislature passed the proposed amendments over the last two legislative sessions after Gov. Evers managed and distributed roughly $5.1 billion in federal funding related to COVID-19 and economic relief.

Opponents of the amendments spent far more to advertise against the referenda than supporters spent in favor of them, and combined with the obtuse wording of the amendments, voters rejected the proposed changes.

Republican legislators successfully used the amendment process in the statewide spring election earlier this year as voters approved two amendments, by relatively strong margins, to prohibit the use of private funding for election administration and to limit the administration of elections to legally designated election officials. Read more here.

All Hands-on Deck for Stewardship. WPRA members need your help to defend the Stewardship Program and work for its reauthorization. Gathering Waters, the state’s land trust organization, has compiled a coalition website (https://knowlesnelson.org/)  for the effort. WPRA encourages all members to identify the KNSP projects in your community and educate your local government leaders about this effort. We need everyone working hard to advocate for KNSP and that starts now.

Save the Date: September 5th, noon - 1 p.m.
WPRA’s Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Lunch and Learn!

Join us for an engaging lunch and learn session focused on WPRA’s top advocacy priority: the reauthorization of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program (KNSP). This webinar marks the kick-off of our KNSP advocacy campaign. Our special guest and coalition partner, Charlie Carlin from Gathering Waters, will provide an overview of the recent state Supreme Court decision on KNSP and its implications for the 2025-27 state budget reauthorization. You'll also discover KNSP advocacy tools and learn how the program has historically supported local projects. To conclude, WPRA’s lobbyist will outline the next steps for all WPRA members to get involved. See you in September!