MADISON – Today, Representative Darrin Madison (D-Milwaukee), Senator Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit), and Senator Jodi Habush Sinykin (D-Whitefish Bay) celebrated Wisconsin’s natural environment by proposing a Green Amendment to Wisconsin’s State Constitution.
The amendment includes a declaration that: “The people, including future generations, have the right to a clean, safe, and healthy natural environment, including clean water, clean air, healthy soils, self-sustaining ecosystems, and a safe and stable climate, and to the preservation of the natural, cultural, and healthful qualities of the environment.”
Green Amendments have been passed and implemented in Montana, Pennsylvania, and New York. They have been introduced in 31 states. Visit www.WIGreenAmendment.org to learn more.
Representative Madison issued the following statement:
“I am proud to introduce a Green Amendment that will protect Wisconsin’s climate and environment for current and future generations. Communities across Wisconsin are struggling with environmental challenges ranging from a lack of access to sustainable and affordable food to lead and PFAS contamination in our waters. By codifying Wisconsinites’ rights to a clean environment and healthy climate, this Green Amendment creates strong environmental justice pathways for marginalized communities across the state that too often face the brunt of environmental pollution. This amendment provides a transformational opportunity for the people of Wisconsin to vote to protect our natural resources for all, including future generations, regardless of socioeconomic status.”
Senator Spreitzer issued the following statement:
“Wisconsin’s natural beauty, resources, and outdoor economy are an invaluable part of our state’s identity. Our state’s constitution already protects the right to fish, hunt, trap, and take game, as well as guaranteeing access to our state’s navigable waters, and adopting this amendment would integrate environmental protection with those existing, complementary rights. As warmer winters and unpredictable precipitation patterns impact Wisconsin’s $25 billion tourism industry, extreme weather events are also making it harder to predictably plant and harvest crops, decreasing soil quality, and leading to higher amounts of runoff – all of which hurts our $116.3 billion agricultural economy.
“From Bayfield to Beloit, this constitutional amendment presents an opportunity to safeguard our environment, strengthen Wisconsinites’ rights, and preserve our state’s economic drivers. By supporting this amendment, Wisconsin will join a growing movement to preserve our natural resources and our way of life for generations to come.”
Senator Habush Sinykin issued the following statement:
“Wisconsin has a strong tradition of prioritizing our beautiful state’s natural resources. I am proud to introduce a Green Amendment that builds on this tradition, further protecting Wisconsin’s environment and the health of today and tomorrow’s generations.
“This amendment takes a proactive approach by codifying the rights of all people to a “clean, safe, and healthy natural environment.” Wisconsinites know that when we protect our state’s waterways, air quality, and natural ecosystems, we are effectively safeguarding our families’ quality of life, health, and economic prosperity.
“Our work to build a better world starts with a generational commitment, and the Green Amendment introduced today underscores the rights of all of us here in Wisconsin to a healthy and sustainable environment for years to come.”
