This evening, Wisconsin voters rejected two politically motivated constitutional amendment proposals (Question 1 and Question 2), defending Wisconsin’s ability to access and distribute federal funding—including during climate disasters and other emergencies. The proposals, passed and placed on the ballot by Republicans in the state Legislature, would have severely restricted the state’s ability to access funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

In response, Evergreen Action Midwest Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager Courtney Bourgoin released the following statement:

“Wisconsinites clearly saw these proposals for what they were—a blatant power grab—and decisively voted no. Regardless of political affiliation, voters on both sides of the aisle know that the hundreds of millions of dollars in federal investment is good for the state. Wisconsin’s ability to take advantage of the historic climate and clean energy investments from the IRA and IIJA directly hinges on the state’s ability to allocate funding. By rejecting this proposal, voters ensured that this funding remains accessible for both Wisconsin’s growing clean energy economy and vital emergency aid for communities across the state during climate disasters.” 

The allocation and use of federal funding from programs like the IRA are extremely popular in Wisconsin. In 2022, polling from Evergreen Action and Data For Progress found that 65 percent of Wisconsin voters support the IRA, including wide majorities of Democrats and Independents and 41 percent of Republicans. Additionally, 72 percent of voters want Gov. Evers to pursue clean energy funding from the law.