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Hold off on lobbying, legislators
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by Keegan Kyle
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
For a period of one year after leaving public office, state legislators would be prohibited from engaging in lobbying activities under a bill discussed in state Senate committee Tuesday.
Bill author Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point, said the legislation would mirror employment limitations currently imposed on other state officials and Congress.
"Constituents want to know legislators are looking out for their best interests," Lassa said at the public hearing. "This is a revolving door that should be closed."
Members of the Senate Ethics Reform and Government Operations Committee asked few questions of Lassa, in part because similar legislation has been proposed for several years.
The current proposal, co-sponsored by Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, would specifically restrict former legislators from lobbying legislators and state agencies. It would not prohibit lobbying local governments.
Black said it's often uncomfortable when former co-workers sit across the table as lobbyists and added it gives them an unfair advantage to influence public decisions.
"When you're able to capitalize on those relationships, … lobbying can become a very lucrative job," Lassa said.
If passed, any former legislator found guilty of violating the law would face the same penalties as current public officials for illegal lobbying: up to a $5,000 fine and six months in prison.
While comfortable with the bill as written, Sen. Joe Leibham, R-Sheboygan, said the committee should think about its future implications.
"I think there should be some consistency," Leibham said in an interview. "While we are unique in the legislative responsibilities that we have, there are others that benefit from legislative activities just as much as we do."
Don Nelson, a legislative liaison for the University of Wisconsin, said from a lobbyist's perspective, there is significant value to hiring someone familiar with the legislative process.
"What is the problem you're trying to address [with the bill]?" Nelson said. "To me, it's only a perception. … I really haven't seen the problem."
Unable to attend the public hearing Tuesday, Roth Judd, director of the Wisconsin Ethics Board, said the nonpartisan board supports the "liberating" legislation.
"We want legislators to be free to vote on issues on what they think is good policy without any consideration on how those efforts impact their future job opportunities," Judd said.
Although Judd could not identify specific problems with the current system, he said the bill would promote better government policy.
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