A Wisconsin judge on Monday ruled that two Republican-backed measures can appear on the April ballot over the objections of criminal justice advocates who said elections officials had missed the state deadline, according to a report from the Associated Press.
One of the measures would add an amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution that would make it harder for people accused of violent crimes to get out of jail on bail. The other is a non-binding advisory referendum that asks voters if they believe that able-bodied, childless welfare recipients should be required to look for work.
Republicans have worked for years to enact the bail amendment. The Legislature approved it last year and again this year with bipartisan support. Constitutional amendments must pass the Legislature in two consecutive sessions before being put on the ballot.
Under the amendment, judges would be allowed to consider a defendant’s risk to public safety, including their criminal history, when setting bail. Currently, cash bail is set only to ensure a defendant appears in court. Democratic opponents have argued the amendment could create further inequity in the criminal justice system by allowing wealthy defendants to get out of jail more easily.
