In response to the second round of indictments brought against members of the Wisconsin State Assembly in the John Doe caucus scandal, Gov. Scott McCallum has called a special session of the State Legislature on Nov. 13 to focus on restoring the state government.

Already, two top legislators have been charged in the caucus scandal, Senate majority leader Chuck Chvala, D-Madison, who has been charged with 20 counts of felony, and Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, who has been charged with three counts of felony and one misdemeanor.

All of those charged are facing accusations dealing with using state money and time for personal-campaigning purposes.

Chvala’s charges include crimes such as extortion and using public resources for personal gain. Three other members of the Assembly have also been charged: Majority Leader Steve Foti, R-Oconomowoc, was charged with one felony; Rep. Bonnie Ladwig, R-Racine, was charged with one misdemeanor; and former Assembly aide Sherry Schultz was charged with one felony.

Jensen and Chvala stepped down from office last week. Both maintain their innocence but feel it would not be right to remain in office while the public is questioning them.

The special session will focus on McCallum’s Corrupt Practices Act, which he is hoping will renew ethics and rules within the state government. The Corrupt Practices Act would prevent legislators from demanding financial support from lobbyists in return for voting support when issues are brought up in session and would ban all fundraising for campaigning from the time the budget is introduced to when the budget bill is signed.

These issues are two of the main problems being dealt with in the caucus scandal. Chavala is charged with giving votes in exchange for money for certain groups within the state.

Wisconsin State Assembly leader Spencer Black, D-Madison, said, “I believe there needs to be comprehensive campaign-finance reform. The big money needs to get out of politics.”

He explained that comprehensive campaign-finance reform would limit how much candidates are allowed to spend on a campaign, and it would also limit how much money special-interest groups are allowed to donate to campaign funds.

Also included in the act is a plan to apply a code-of-ethics standard to individuals immediately after they are elected and requiring them to attend ethics trainings on a regular basis.

Despite McCallum’s efforts, Black believes the Corrupt Practices Act will only make the situation worse.

A part of the act would prohibit anyone who works for the state, from professors to part-time workers at Memorial Union, from having a role in politics. They would not be allowed to volunteer on a campaign or even sign a letter of endorsement, much less run for an office.

“It takes away basic rights of state workers,” Black said.

Black commented on the timing of Gov. McCallum’s Act, saying that McCallum is bringing this issue up too late. He also said McCallum has said nothing concrete and that so far the only thing he has done is send out a press release that loosely explains what may be in the act.

“He has ignored the problem for 16 years and now is paying attention to it two weeks before the election,” Black said. “It seems more like a press release and a political move than a serious act. He hasn’t in fact called the special section, just announced that he will call one.”

Debbie Monterrey-Millett, spokesperson for the McCallum campaign, said McCallum has put reforming the government on the top of his list of priorities.

“The people of Wisconsin have a right to demand a clean government,” Monterrey-Millett said.

Monterrey-Millett said McCallum has made the Corrupt Practices Act, which makes provision in government policies.

The office of Jim Doyle, McCallum’s challenger in the upcoming election, was unavailable for comment; however, Doyle said on his website that he was disappointed taxpayers are paying so much for legal fees.

Doyle said taxpayers have paid $670,000 thus far in legal fees for legislators and their staffs. Doyle added that the fees could reach up to $1 million.

“Governor McCallum won’t do the right thing, but the same people who authorized these fees — the legislative leadership — can stop them,” Doyle said on the website. “With Chuck Chvala and Scott Jensen stepping aside, the new leaders can send a clear message to the taxpayers that things have changed in the Capitol. The first step is to stop paying these legal bills.”

Don Kettl, professor of political science and public affairs, said these incidences tarnished Wisconsin’s political image, which will have to be cleaned up by the next governor and lawmakers.

“Citizens have been increasingly concerned and cynical,” Kettl said. “The level of concern and anxiety is growing higher.”

Wisconsin has prided itself on being a political model to other states for years due to Wisconsin’s political reform but has lost that image over the last few years, Kettl said.

“For a long time, Wisconsin has been viewed nationally as a model,” Kettl said. “That reputation has been seriously damaged by this. Wisconsin as an example [of an ideal state government] is not the case anymore.”

Kettl said citizens will demand the next governor to clean up the government’s image, in addition to dealing with other issues Wisconsin faces.

“The budget is the No. 1 issue the next governor is going to have to deal with, and now a political hot potato is thrown right in the middle,” Kettl said. “Citizens are going to be demanding a lot of reform.”