Wisconsin Question 1, Public Employee Retirement Benefits Amendment (April 1974)
| Wisconsin Question 1 | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic Public employee retirement funds |
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| Status |
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| Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment |
Origin |
Wisconsin Question 1 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Wisconsin on April 2, 1974. It was approved.
A "yes" vote supported amending the constitution to allow the legislature to increase the benefits of people already retired under the public retirement system. |
A "no" vote opposed amending the constitution to allow the legislature to increase the benefits of people already retired under the public retirement system. |
Election results
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Wisconsin Question 1 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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396,051 | 55.66% | ||
| No | 315,545 | 44.34% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Question 1 was as follows:
| “ | Shall section 26 of Article IV of the constitution be amended to permit the legislature to increase the pensions of persons who already have retired under any public retirement system (such retirement benefits already may be granted to teachers), and to require the state to provide sufficient state funds to cover the costs of the increased benefits to all persons retired under a public retirement fund? | ” |
Constitutional changes
Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.
(Article IV) Section 26. The legislature shall never grant any extra compensation to any public officer, agent, servant or contractor, grant any extra compensation to any public officer, agent, servant or contractor, after the services shall have been rendered or the contract entered into; nor shall the compensation of any public officer be increased or diminished during his term of office except that when any increase or decrease provided by the legislature in the compensation of the justices of the supreme court, or judges of the circuit court shall become effective as to any such justice or judge, it shall be effective from such date as to each of such justices or judges. This section shall not apply to increased benefits for teachers persons who have been or shall be granted benefits of any kind under a teachers' retirement system when such increased benefits are prov1 ed by a legislative act passed on a call of yeas and nays by a three·fourths vote of all the members elected to both houses of the legislature, which act shall provide for sufficient state funds to cover the costs of the increased benefits.[1]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Wisconsin Constitution
A simple majority vote is required during two legislative sessions for the Wisconsin State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 50 votes in the Wisconsin State Assembly and 17 votes in the Wisconsin State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source.
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