Posted on 10/22/2015 3:05:26 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Part 269 of 267 in the series Wisconsin's Secret War
By M.D. Kittle | Wisconsin Watchdog
MADISON, Wis. – Wednesday was old school “Back to the Future Day” in the state Assembly – the Huey Lewis and the News “Back in Time” kind.
As their fellow Democrats in the Senate did in winter 2011, the minority party fled another vote on a controversial piece of legislation.
Back then it was a temper-tantrum over Act 10, Gov. Scott Walker’s public employee collective bargaining reform bill that sent the Fleeing 14 over the border into Illinois in a failed attempt to stave off a vote.
On Wednesday, Assembly Dems took the unusual step of recusing themselves from voting on Assembly Bill 387, the Republican-led campaign finance reform proposal.
So, with Democrats refusing to vote, Republicans went ahead and unanimously passed the measure, sending it on to the Senate (They have learned a thing or two since the days of Act 10).
Dem legislators chose to recuse themselves due to a “substantial financial interest” under the bill because the legislation could directly impact individual legislators’ campaign committees. At least that’s how Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, sees it.
“There is no question that legislators’ campaigns stand to benefit significantly from this Republican legislation that enables the super wealthy corporations and special interests to dump more money into our elections and our government without any transparency,” Barca said in a statement Wednesday evening after a long day of overheated rhetoric on a pair of reform bills.
By the way, the bill would allow unions to “dump” more money into state elections, like they did during the recall campaigns in 2011 and 2012.
The Democrats’ claim is that, under Wisconsin law, no state public official may act on legislation that would give the official, family members, or an associated organization a “substantial financial interest.” The campaign finance bill would do just that, they insist.
Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, called the Democrats’ protest “an act of true political theatre.”
He said if Barca’s argument were valid, then Dems should refuse to vote for tax increases or decreases or state budgets for that matter. Many bills the Legislature takes up can be argued to have a substantial financial impact on its members.
“Rather than casting a vote based upon their personal convictions or constituents’ wishes, my Democrat colleagues sadly opted to make false accusations and abstained from a final vote,” Steineke said in a statement.
“If they object to this bill, then they would have the decency to cast a vote. Instead, they have shamefully refused to represent their constituents by refusing to vote. Wisconsinites deserve better,” the lawmaker added.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, who throughout this week’s floor debates called out the minority party for engaging in hyperbole, called the Democrats’ refusal to vote “sophomoric.”
“Unfortunately, more than two million people didn’t have their voices heard on this bill that replaces an entire chapter of our state statutes,” Vos said in a statement. “The members of the minority party chose to recuse themselves in a sophomoric manner and tried to make a mockery out of the very institution that they were elected to serve in.”
He pointed out that the statute the Dems’ cited clearly states that a public official is not prohibited from taking a vote on the campaign finance reform bill or any of the other bills approved Wednesday.
In what Republicans described as victories for free speech, the Assembly passed Republican-led bills that reform Wisconsin’s John Doe law, overhaul the state Government Accountability Board, and rewrite many of the statutes on the state’s campaign finance laws.
The Legislature has no other choice. Several federal and state court decisions have declared unconstitutional wide swaths of Wisconsin’s campaign finance law, particularly those sections that pertain to issue advocacy.
Democrats have made a big show about what they predict will be the deleterious effects of the proposal, which they believe will open the door to corruption.
“This is truly a dark day in America,” lamented state Rep. Andy Jorgensen, D-Milton.
But the bill, which expands outdated contribution limits, raising individual limits from $10,000 to $20,000, brings the state’s campaign laws into compliance with landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions like Citizens United and others that have expanded political speech in recent years.
The bill allows political parties and legislative campaign committees to make unlimited donations to a candidate committee, and the parties and campaign committees may receive unlimited contributions, with some exceptions.
While the left sees a right-wing conspiracy, unfettering contributions limits is just what the federal courts have ordered – for corporations and unions alike.
Assembly Democrats complained Republicans are pushing too hard and too fast, even though portions of Wisconsin’s campaign finance laws were found unconstitutional years ago.
“It is inconceivable that Wisconsin could go into the next election cycle without reform of existing law,” asserts the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty in an analysis of campaign finance reform. “Much of Wisconsin’s existing campaign finance framework has been declared unconstitutional. This creates confusion regarding its scope and applicability.”
Vos said the Assembly’s minority party was setting a “very dangerous precedent” in its recusal move.
“Even though Democrats spent two days repeating hyperboles, our reforms moved forward to allow for more participation in the political process, and greater transparency and accountability in government,” the speaker said.
The bill now faces a tougher fight and, according to Senate sources, some changes to make it more palatable for some Republican members.
RECALL THESE DAYS? Assembly Democrats on Wednesday brought back memories of Act 10 protests and dereliction of legislative duty when they opted to not vote on a Republican-led campaign finance reform bill.
RELATED: Hyperbole happens as John Doe reform passes on party-line votes.
Here we go again. The Dems have stamped their little feet, taken up their marbles, and gone home. Who will miss them?
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.
Wisconsin's democrats are on george soros's payroll AND government (taxpayer) salary
The repubs should pass a bill stating...a non-vote will be counted as a ‘yea’.
The Rats would rather continue the out of control “doe” investigations.
The Democrats support their corrupt practices that do not benefit Wisconsin.
More like a repeat of Groundhog Day.
“Unfortunately, more than two million people didn’t have their voices heard on this bill that replaces an entire chapter of our state statutes,” Vos said in a statement. “The members of the minority party chose to recuse themselves in a sophomoric manner and tried to make a mockery out of the very institution that they were elected to serve in.”
And our local leftist MEDIA is silent. SILENT! I heard one tiny mention of this on the morning news and THAT. WAS. IT.
Unreal.
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