The Badger Herald

NEWS

Finance reforms facing long road

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Also by Beth Mueller:

Med students get in the legislative game (February 28, 2008)
Cycling legend Armstrong to visit Madison for smoking ban (February 27, 2008)
Campaigns push finance reform (February 26, 2008)
Smokes out: Youngsters kept cigarette-free (February 25, 2008)
Raising millions, forgetting about the budget (February 21, 2008)

by Beth Mueller

Friday, February 29, 2008

A series of bills that would overhaul Wisconsin’s campaign finance laws passed a Senate committee Thursday, though their chances of passing the full Legislature before the session’s end are slim.

According to Sen. Pat Kreitlow, D-Chippewa Falls, the committee passed two comprehensive plans that would have a dramatic effect on elections in Wisconsin, as well as bills that would make smaller, more targeted reforms that have garnered more support.

One of the more limited bills is dubbed the “Impartial Justice” reform, which would provide public financing of Supreme Court races.

“Increasingly, people have come to believe that judges are answering to party bosses and interest groups, … and it’s undermining public confidence in our judicial system,” said Mike McCabe, executive director of Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which has lobbied in favor of the bill. “That’s very dangerous, and we need to do something about it.”

According to Carrie Lynch, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker, D-Weston, the Democratic leadership is hopeful the Assembly will take up the bill, as it has already passed the full Senate in another form.

“We know if they won’t pass that, the chances for any of these other bills to be moved are slim to none,” Lynch said. “The public looks at judicial races a little bit differently, that they should be held to a higher standard.”

McCabe said although some in the Assembly attempted to bring the Impartial Justice Bill to a vote late in Tuesday’s session, they have not yet been successful.

Krietlow urged the Assembly to give the campaign finance reform plans a public hearing.

“Until we see some action from them, our efforts are wasted, and the public will know who is standing in the way of cleaning up Wisconsin politics,” Kreitlow said in a statement.

Another measure approved Thursday by the Senate Committee on Campaign Finance Reform, Rural Issues and Information Technology would ban fundraising during the budget process. Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, authored that bill.

Proponents of the legislation say it would prevent extensive budget delays like the one seen with the last budget because legislators would have an incentive to finish on time.

“It essentially restores integrity to the budget-making process,” said Jack Jablonski, spokesperson for Harsdorf. “It’s about how people view the process.”

The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign recently released an analysis that showed state Legislators held more than 100 fundraisers during the budget process last year, raising more than $2 million during that period.

McCabe said banning fundraising during the budget would be more budget reform than campaign finance reform.

“The appearance now to the public is that the budget is for sale. … [The bill] would end that process of shaking down special interests for fundraising dollars,” McCabe said.

One of the two comprehensive plans passed by the committee came from Gov. Jim Doyle, while Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, and Sen. Mike Ellis, R-Neenah, sponsored the other. Though these plans are unlikely to become law anytime soon, McCabe stressed the need to overhaul to the current, “broken,” system.

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