Caffeinated Politics

This November, Wisconsin voters will be asked to weigh in on two amendments to the Wisconsin Constitution. Today, I want to stress why there must be a vote against the idea that asks whether the state constitution should be amended to prohibit the government from closing or forbidding gatherings in places of worship during any state of emergency, including public health emergencies.

Shall section 18 of article I of the constitution, which deals with religious liberty, be amended to prohibit the state or a political subdivision of the state from ordering the closure of, or forbidding gatherings in, places of worship in response to a state of emergency, including a public health emergency?”

This would change the constitution to read:

[Article I] Section 18. The right of every person to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of conscience shall never be infringed; nor shall any person be compelled to attend, erect or support any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry, without consent; nor shall any control of, or interference with, the rights of conscience be permitted, or any preference be given by law to any religious establishments or modes of worship; nor shall any money be drawn from the treasury for the benefit of religious societies, or religious or theological seminaries; nor shall the state or a political subdivision of the state order the closure of or forbid gatherings in places of worship in response to a state of emergency at the national, state, or local level, including an emergency related to public health.

Being opposed to this amendment is really easy to understand.

On the face of it, the proponents of this amendment in the legislature wish to appear in deep favor of the noble defense of religious liberty. Who could be opposed to that idea? But, in practice, it would carve out a dangerous, untouchable zone where no public‑safety measure could ever reach, no matter how dire the circumstances. We all endured COVID and know the science and reality of the pandemic. Some of us lost people we knew due to the calamity. We understand that in times of widespread emergencies, the citizenry has a duty, a responsibility, to act regarding their larger community. And we know that the state has an obligation for public safety.

This amendment would instead elevate religious gatherings above every other civic obligation, forbidding even temporary, targeted limits during crises like pandemics, chemical spills, or mass‑casualty events. It would create a constitutional loophole where the state could close schools, evacuate neighborhoods, restrict public events, and quarantine facilities, but be constitutionally barred from taking the same life‑saving steps in a crowded sanctuary. That’s not principled liberty; that’s reckless pandering from conservative legislators for cheap partisan aims in this fall’s elections.

We are aware that a segment of our state and nation is averse to science‑based judgment. Locking this blanket prohibition into the state constitution means future leaders would be legally barred from using the full range of tools needed to protect Wisconsinites. Voters should reject this amendment.