Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, left, R-Rochester, and Senate President Chris Kapenga, right, R-Delafield, look at one another while listening to Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers address a joint session of the Legislature in the Assembly chambers during the governor's State of the State speech at the state Capitol Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced on Monday that his annual budget includes a mandate for the state legislature to implement a citizen-led ballot proposal process.

The mandate asks the state Assembly and Senate, both of which have Republican majorities, to consider a constitutional amendment that would give citizens the power to approve or repeal laws without authority from lawmakers.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) responded to Evers’ proposal in opposition on Monday, telling the Associated Press that he is worried about power being taken away from Republicans.

“It appears that Tony Evers’ single agenda item for the next session to is take power away from the elected members of the Legislature,” Vos said. “If that’s his focus, it’s going to make it awfully hard to find consensus.”

Evers made a similar proposal in 2022, and it was also thoroughly rejected by GOP lawmakers. Evers was attempting to allow voters to reject Wisconsin’s stringent abortion ban that Republicans refused to alter.

There are 26 states that currently allow some form of citizen-led ballot measure process, including Illinois, Michigan and Ohio.