The Badger Herald

NEWS

Campaigns push finance reform

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Also by Beth Mueller:

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Raising millions, forgetting about the budget (February 21, 2008)
Lawton calls for mental health parity (February 21, 2008)
Senate approves UW System staff unionization (February 20, 2008)
Obama catches flak for ‘plagiarism’ in address (February 19, 2008)

by Beth Mueller

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

The fight over campaign finance reform in Wisconsin resounded in the Capitol Monday as national groups urged the Assembly to consider public funding of state Supreme Court races.

Representatives of the Justice at Stake Campaign, the Reform Institute and the Committee for Economic Development advocated the changes, passed last week by the state Senate, which is now on the Assembly’s plate for consideration.

Bert Brandenburg, executive director of the Justice at Stake Campaign, said a poll conducted by “respected Republican national polling firm” American Viewpoint showed 78 percent of Wisconsin voters believe campaign contributions influence decisions in the courtroom, according to a transcript of his remarks.

“As the new politics of judicial elections has spiraled out of control around the country, business leaders and ordinary citizens are demanding real solutions to keep cash out of the courtroom,” Brandenburg said.

Brandenburg added business leaders are ready to get out of the “judicial elections arms race.”

According to Chris Dreibelbis, communications director for the Reform Institute, it is not unusual for state elected officials to be resistant to campaign finance reform legislation.

“They’re usually pretty happy with the system as it is because they were elected under that system,” Dreibelbis said. “They think, ‘Why should we change this, because it’s benefited us already.’”

State Rep. Steve Hilgenberg, D-Dodgeville, a year ago introduced to the Assembly legislation similar to what the Senate just passed because “people are looking for an impartial judiciary,” he said.

“People have been asking for this for quite a while now, and a small number of people have been working to keep it off,” Hilgenberg said.

High levels of campaign spending often hurt the public’s confidence in government, according to Hilgenberg.

“Special interest people expect $10 back for every dollar they spend now in legislation that will help them down the road, and certainly the public thinks this is the case,” he said.

According to Hilgenberg, it is up to legislators to restore public confidence in the system.

“That’s one of the reasons I wanted to run for office, not just to make the esteem of elected officials go up but to help people believe in the Legislature again.”

Hilgenberg faulted Assembly leadership for a light floor schedule and not addressing important issues like this one.

“It’s time that we tried to do something about it,” he said.

If enacted, the legislation recently passed by the Senate would make candidates in contested Supreme Court races eligible for public funding and limit other contributions they could accept, which Hilgenberg hopes would limit spending in local races.

“If they’d limit spending, it would eliminate some of the 30-second TV ads and give people a chance to see people stand up and answer questions on the spot,” Hilgenberg said.

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