MADISON, Wis. — Weeks after Wisconsin's spring election, Republican lawmakers said the results of an advisory referendum on the ballot have influenced how they want to change work search requirements for unemployment benefits in the Badger State.

What are Republicans proposing?

Republicans call their proposal the ‘Reemployment Assistance Act.’ Similar legislation was introduced during past legislative sessions but vetoed by Gov. Tony Evers.

However, since then, a nonbinding referendum question on the ballot during the spring election asked voters whether childless, able-bodied adults should be required to look for work to receive taxpayer-funded benefits. Nearly 80% of voters answered "yes" to that question.

In the wake of those results, State Rep. Warren Petryk, R-Town of Washington, reintroduced legislation aimed at reforming the state’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) program.

Here’s what the reintroduced legislation would do:

  • Require Wisconsinites to participate in services to help complete their employment plan
  • Those programs would include resume writing workshops, soft-skills training, along with employment workshops
  • Those seeking unemployment benefits would also have to post their resume online within seven days of starting their claim

While current law already requires Wisconsinites to complete at least four work search requirements per week, other proposed legislation would create stricter verification checks.

An additional bill would tie the length of time someone could claim benefits to the state’s unemployment rate. With the current rate under 3%, a recipient would only be allowed to claim up to 14 weeks of benefits under the proposal. If the legislation were to pass and become law, Wisconsinites could only receive 26 weeks of benefits, which is the current standard, if the unemployment rate rose above 9%.

What will the governor do if these bills reach his desk?

Given his past action, it seems likely that Gov. Evers would veto the proposals again. However, unlike the last time, doing so would be more difficult, at least politically speaking, given the results of the recent statewide referendum.

Gov. Evers has often said that “the will of the people is the law of the land” when advocating for hot-button issues he cares about, including redistricting and abortion rights. The phrase can be seen on the ceiling of the Governor’s Conference Room inside the Capitol.

Republicans in the Legislature voted to put the non-binding question about welfare on the April ballot to not only gauge public support but pressure the governor to act as well.

Since Wisconsin voters directly weighed in on the issue, it makes it increasingly difficult for the governor to veto any UI proposals that may reach his desk while arguing it is not what Wisconsinites want.

Regardless of what the governor does with his pen, how big of an impact could these proposals have?

Strictly focused on unemployment, these measures are designed to lower the rate of people looking for work, and it stands to reason that more work search requirements would accomplish that objective.

However, Wisconsin’s unemployment rate is already at a historic low. According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the state added 7,500 jobs in February as the unemployment rate dipped to 2.7%.

With that being the case, it could be tough to argue the proposed legislation would be a so-called ‘magic bullet’ to solve the workforce shortage felt across the Badger State.

The unemployment rate only considers those who are in the labor force, and people may choose not to be in the workforce for various reasons, including pursuing education, providing care to children as a stay-at-home parent, or deciding to retire.

Since many people aren’t collecting benefits right now, the proposals likely would have a limited effect in the short term, as they do not target Wisconsinites who are not participating in the labor force for those various reasons.

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