MONROE - Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, doesn't plan to let attack ads prevent him from going forward with his plan to protect virtual school funding.
Scot Ross, executive director of One Wisconsin Now (OWN), sent an e-mail to the Times Tuesday that questions why Davis received $500 from Ronald Packard and Bryan Flood, two officials from a Virginia-based virtual school company.
Ross said Wednesday the problem with the donations is that Davis' plan to continue to fund virtual schools will benefit the two men financially.
"When you're talking about an official from out of state donating money in the waning days of a campaign and then a year and a half later there is legislation proposed, it has to raise eyebrows," Ross said.
Ross said Davis and others should be held to a higher standard when it comes to campaign contributions that could profit private companies.
Ross said there was no comparison between Davis receiving $500 from Packard and Flood and Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine, having the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the state's largest teachers union, spend over $142,000 on independent expenditures favoring him.
Lehman proposed a bill in the Senate to cut funding for virtual schools in half and change how students enroll in the programs.
"The bill (proposed by Lehman) doesn't benefit the teachers union," Ross said.
Davis, who received more than $120,000 in campaign contributions in 2006, said OWN is a special interest group trying to create a smoke-screen for the public.
"It's a desperate attempt to distract the public from the issue at hand," Davis said.
Davis said what's important is how the virtual schools affect students and offer an alternative chance for education.
"There are powerful interest groups that don't want to see changes in how students learn," Davis said.
Davis said he expects more attack ads and opposition from special interests groups between now and the Nov. 4 election, but he's not going to back down from his attempts to protect virtual school funding.
"This is an alternative for parents and I'm willing to fight for it," Davis said.
Scot Ross, executive director of One Wisconsin Now (OWN), sent an e-mail to the Times Tuesday that questions why Davis received $500 from Ronald Packard and Bryan Flood, two officials from a Virginia-based virtual school company.
Ross said Wednesday the problem with the donations is that Davis' plan to continue to fund virtual schools will benefit the two men financially.
"When you're talking about an official from out of state donating money in the waning days of a campaign and then a year and a half later there is legislation proposed, it has to raise eyebrows," Ross said.
Ross said Davis and others should be held to a higher standard when it comes to campaign contributions that could profit private companies.
Ross said there was no comparison between Davis receiving $500 from Packard and Flood and Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine, having the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the state's largest teachers union, spend over $142,000 on independent expenditures favoring him.
Lehman proposed a bill in the Senate to cut funding for virtual schools in half and change how students enroll in the programs.
"The bill (proposed by Lehman) doesn't benefit the teachers union," Ross said.
Davis, who received more than $120,000 in campaign contributions in 2006, said OWN is a special interest group trying to create a smoke-screen for the public.
"It's a desperate attempt to distract the public from the issue at hand," Davis said.
Davis said what's important is how the virtual schools affect students and offer an alternative chance for education.
"There are powerful interest groups that don't want to see changes in how students learn," Davis said.
Davis said he expects more attack ads and opposition from special interests groups between now and the Nov. 4 election, but he's not going to back down from his attempts to protect virtual school funding.
"This is an alternative for parents and I'm willing to fight for it," Davis said.