Did Wisconsinites vote overwhelmingly in favor of the referendum to require adults to seek work to receive welfare benefits?
On April 4, 2023, an advisory referendum to impose a work requirement for welfare recipients was approved by voters in Wisconsin, with nearly 80% voting yes. The referendum asked, "Shall able-bodied, childless adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded benefits?"
The ballot question was non-binding and vague; the term "taxpayer-funded benefits" was not defined. Under current law, many Wisconsinites already need to seek employment to receive public benefits, including unemployment insurance. The work search requirement for FoodShare, the state's food assistance program, was suspended due to the pandemic in October 2020.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, both Republicans, co-sponsored the referendum, which Democrats — including Gov. Tony Evers and Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard — criticized as pointless and a ploy to increase turnout among conservatives for the Wisconsin Supreme Court election.
