LETTER: Misnamed amendment will set back equal opportunity

To Ozaukee Press:

On Nov. 3, Wisconsin voters will weigh in on another proposed constitutional amendment. This one, sometimes referred to as the equality amendment, purports to prohibit state discrimination, which already is illegal under federal law. Before you cast your ballot on this issue, be sure to read the fine print.

The title of the proposed amendment, “Governmental Entity Discrimination Prohibited,” sounds good and could entice voters to approve it without reading further. Resist the temptation to do this, because the remainder of the proposed amendment holds profound consequences for state efforts to address systemic inequalities. 

With this change in our state Constitution, educational opportunities, health programs, social support networks and economic opportunities could all be affected. This amendment promotes a view that everyone should get the same treatment. But we do not all start from the same place, and we do not have the same challenges and opportunities.

A serious consequence of this amendment could be to create new legal questions that could require changes to equity-based programs involving race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin.

 Wisconsin has made progress in addressing entrenched inequities, but that progress, gained over more than 60 years, could be jeopardized if this amendment passes. 

 This amendment could reduce Wisconsin’s capacity to address systemic inequality and increase gaps in education, health and economic opportunity. It could diminish or eliminate important supports and limit the progress our state has made toward providing equal opportunity for all Wisconsinites.

Debra Cronmiller

Executive director 

League of Women Voters of Wisconsin