Ballot question three is titled “Government Entity Discrimination Prohibited,” but government discrimination is already illegal. What the amendment actually does is ban equity-based programs. It would prohibit state and local governments from considering race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, education, contracting, and administration.

Joan walked through the Government Operations Accountability and Transparency (GOAT) report, which catalogued equity programs across Wisconsin’s 72 counties and put a price tag on each one… from Milwaukee County’s Office of Equity to the state’s supplier diversity program, which directed more than $200 million to certified minority-owned businesses in 2023.

The amendment’s reach is wide. It defines “governmental entity” to include every level of state and local government, every public school district, the UW and technical college systems, all state agencies, the legislature, and the courts.

Session highlights:

• What the GOAT report reveals about equity programs targeted for elimination across Wisconsin’s 72 counties, including staffing, training, and recruitment positions.
• How education would be affected: admissions, scholarships, grants, curriculum, and student clubs across K–12, the UW system, and technical colleges.
• What happened in Michigan after a similar amendment passed, including businesses signing anti-DEI covenants for state contracts and the cancellation of diversity events.
• The distinction between equality and equity, and why that distinction matters legally.
• Why implementation would require years of administrative code revisions, new legislation, and agency rulemaking.

LINKS TO ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: