The Wisconsin Assembly’s Committee on Campaigns and Elections is made up of Representatives Freese, chairperson, Gundrum, vice chairperson and Representatives J. Wood, Vos, Travis, and Kessler.
Chairman Freese put on quite a show battling for a higher standard of ethics. Let’s call him the good cop, fighting for much needed campaign reform and stronger powers of enforcement. He even went so far as to threaten bad cop, John Gard and his minions with resigning from his leadership position in the Assembly if his committee’s campaign reform bill, SB 1, was not brought up for a vote.
Yesterday this keystone cop-out performance came to a close. Many of these wooden actors took their bows and left the stage, left the theater, knowing their checks will remain safely in the mail. No fear! With a tough election ahead most Republican Assembly legislators can count on having all of that Illinois cash and other special interest contributions continue to flow into their campaigns – with no questions asked.
Only these seven Republicans had the courage to stand along side ALL of the Democrats in the Assembly yesterday to vote “Aye” in hopes of a move toward ethical campaign reform: Albers, Davis, Hines, Lasee, McCormick, Ott and Pettis. The motion to bring SB1 to a floor vote failed 51-45. Where were those four missing Republican votes that would have given Wisconsin citizens a means to investigate all of the dirty money that is ruining our democracy?
Look to the Wisconsin Assembly’s Committee on Campaigns and Elections – the ones who fought so hard to bring SB1 to the floor for a vote. The nay voting committee members included Freese, Gundrum, Wood and Vos – the four Republicans. The aye votes included members Travis and Kessler – the two Democrats.
In the final fight scene Freeze froze… a shabby actor with a bad script. Broadway investors with fists full of money may keep this show running for a few more months, but with a hot summer ahead, people will be raising an abundance of tomatoes in preparation for November.
