A bill that allows the Wisconsin Election Commission to reimburse counties and municipalities who hold special elections or primaries has passed the Wisconsin Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections, and Consumer Protection.
The bill was introduced by De Pere Republican State Senator Andre Jaque and Republican State Representative Shae Sortwell of Two Rivers.
Jaque said in a news release, “Under current state law, unexpected special elections occur with little warning, and they can have substantial fiscal impacts on local governments that already have limited budgets.”
He also noted, “The reimbursement rate would be similar to the costs of regularly scheduled elections.”
But the bill says the WEC could reimburse someone if they determine the cost is reasonable and doesn’t cost as much as a primary or regular election.
Sortwell chimed in, saying “In addition, the proposal also adds a layer of oversight protection to taxpayers.”
