The Legislature’s budget committee will meet next week to discuss funding a voter ID education campaign and transitioning the state Government Accountability Board into new elections and ethics commissions. Last month, the GAB requested $250,000 from the Joint Finance Committee to educate voters about Wisconsin’s voter ID law before the 2016 presidential election. The agency has proposed two informational campaigns with different combinations of radio, TV and digital advertisements. One option would also include pre-show advertisements at movie theaters, interior bus ads and sponsored Facebook posts. Gov. Scott Walker approved the voter ID law, which requires certain forms of photo identification to be shown at the polls in order to vote, in 2011.
The measure was in place for the February 2012 primary, but was then blocked by orders from judges in state and federal court. After a series of legal challenges, the measure was put back in place this year for the Feb. 16 spring primary and April 5 presidential primary election.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have encouraged the finance committee to approve funds for the education campaign. But committee member Rep. Dean Knudson, R-Hudson, expressed concerns with the proposal. The plan “sounds great” on the surface, he said, but said “statewide” TV and radio campaigns won’t reach every voter in the state.
Knudson also argued that political candidates and campaigns, not the government, should educate voters, and that it’s unfair to spend taxpayer dollars on an effort that will reach some segments of the population more than others — for instance, more urban voters than rural voters.
Full Article: Joint Finance Committee to consider voter ID education campaign, GAB transition | Politics and Elections | host.madison.com.