Common Cause

Reform of State Budget Process Should Start Now

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 00:00:00 PST

July 8, 2009: For the first time in 32 years, the biennial state budget has been enacted into law before the June 30th statutory deadline. Obviously, that is a good thing. But the process of constructing and deciding the 2009-2011 budget was as secretive as any budget process in memory. Most of the key decisions and changes were made out of the public eye, often in closed partisan caucus meetings that excluded both the media and other observers. Only authorized staff were present while legislators made key policy decisions.

And, while the Assembly Democratic leadership imposed a rule prohibiting all members of the Assembly from engaging in campaign fundraising while the Assembly was considering the budget, the prohibition did not include the leadership legislative campaign committees -- which in previous years have raised the lion's share of the campaign money during the budget period. The State Senate and Governor, meanwhile, raised campaign funds without hesitation during the entire budget process.

Senator Decker's Misguided Amendment to Eviscerate the Government Accountability Board Must Not Prevail

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PST

June 22, 2009: What was State Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker (D-Weston) thinking? Or why was he not thinking when he inserted his outrageous amendment in the State Senate budget passed last Wednesday evening that would hamstring the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board's ability to mount and/or continue an investigation into government corruption -- particularly if the wrongdoing is happening in the Wisconsin Legislature?

Russ Decker and his staff were around when the Legislative Caucus Scandal occurred. Decker knew that the Government Accountability Board (GAB) was devised by Senator Mike Ellis (R-Neenah) with assistance from Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) and Common Cause in Wisconsin (CC/WI) in the months immediately following the criminal chargings for felony misconduct in public office for illegal campaign fund raising of then-State Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala (D-Madison), State Senator Brian Burke (D-Milwaukee), Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen (R-Town of Brookfield), Assembly Majority Leader Steve Foti (R-Oconomowoc), and Assistant Majority Leader Bonnie Ladwing (R-Mount Pleasant) in Wisconsin's biggest and darkest political scandal in modern history. Decker even voted for final passage of legislation to establish the Government Accountability Board and its key component -- independent "sum sufficient" funding for investigations not subject to control by the Legislature.

CC/WI on TV This Weekend!

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PST

June 19, 2009: Tune in as CC/WI Director Jay Heck will discuss the state budget process on Wisconsin Public Television's public affairs program, Here and Now, which airs Friday evening - June 19th at 7:30 PM and which will be rebroadcast at 10:00 AM on Sunday - June 21st.

Heck will also discuss the more promising prospects for real campaign finance reform in Wisconsin on Up Front, the public affairs/news television program hosted by Mike Gousha which airs Sunday morning, June 21st at 9:00 AM on Channel 12 in Milwaukee, Channel 27 in Madison, Channel 9 in Wausau and at 5:30 AM on Channel 5 in Green Bay.

State Senate Passed Budget Contains Provision that Could Impede State Investigations of Government Corruption

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PST

June 18, 2009: The Wisconsin State Senate last night passed its version of the $62.5 billion state budget. Contained in that document is an extremely troubling provision that could hamper the ability of the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB) to mount and sustain an investigation into government corruption and other wrongdoing - the very type of corruption that produced the biggest political scandal in Wisconsin's modern history - the Legislative Caucus Scandal of 2002.

The provision in the Senate budget strips away the "sum sufficient" funding -- which means basically all that is necessary -- for investigations into wrongdoing. Instead the GAB would be required to go to the Legislature to beg for funding to mount or continue an investigation -- which might be of members of the Legislature!

Phony Issue Ad Disclosure and \"Impartial Justice\" Reform Legislation Both Win Votes in Assembly Committee

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PST

June 16, 2009: Major campaign finance reform legislation strongly supported by Common Cause in Wisconsin (CC/WI) passed today in the the Assembly Elections and Campaign Reform Committee and is now ready for scheduling and consideration by the full Wisconsin Assembly -- most likely when it next holds a floor session in September.