It was interesting that Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville, chose Monday to send out a news release lauding the effectiveness of a new rule prohibiting campaign fundraising during the state budget process.
The timing is interesting because the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign (WDC) had just released reports showing that at least seven lawmakers violated the rule in its first year.
Four Democratic representatives (Fred Clark, Ted Zigmunt, Sandy Pasch and Gary Sherman) and three Republicans (Reps. Jerry Petrowski, Keith Ripp and Rich Zipperer) recorded receiving contributions between Feb. 17 and June 29, according to the WDC.
That's 7 out of 99 Assembly members, or about 7 percent.
The Assembly passed a rule Feb. 4 prohibiting its members from raising campaign funds between the time the governor introduces a budget proposal and the time the budget is signed into law. This year, Gov. Jim Doyle introduced his budget Feb. 17 and signed it June 29.
Sheridan said the rule has proven "incredibly effective."
"With this change," Sheridan said in the news release, "we ensured that members were singularly-focused on the budget process, at a time of great economic challenge."
How said, that 93 percent compliance with its own rule is considered "incredibly effective" in the state Assembly.
The problem, as we said when it was passed, is that the rule is not a law, and therefore has no penalties associated with it. There is no real incentive - other than avoiding public embarrassment - for lawmakers to adhere to the rule. The WDC report is further evidence that the Assembly must make the rule a law.
Also, the Senate should pass the same sort of prohibition, making it a law rather than a rule. Senators have put no such restriction on themselves yet.
It's good to hear that Rep. Sheridan believes the rule removed a distraction from the budgeting process. It would be far better, though, if 99 Assemblymen followed the rule rather than just 92.
The timing is interesting because the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign (WDC) had just released reports showing that at least seven lawmakers violated the rule in its first year.
Four Democratic representatives (Fred Clark, Ted Zigmunt, Sandy Pasch and Gary Sherman) and three Republicans (Reps. Jerry Petrowski, Keith Ripp and Rich Zipperer) recorded receiving contributions between Feb. 17 and June 29, according to the WDC.
That's 7 out of 99 Assembly members, or about 7 percent.
The Assembly passed a rule Feb. 4 prohibiting its members from raising campaign funds between the time the governor introduces a budget proposal and the time the budget is signed into law. This year, Gov. Jim Doyle introduced his budget Feb. 17 and signed it June 29.
Sheridan said the rule has proven "incredibly effective."
"With this change," Sheridan said in the news release, "we ensured that members were singularly-focused on the budget process, at a time of great economic challenge."
How said, that 93 percent compliance with its own rule is considered "incredibly effective" in the state Assembly.
The problem, as we said when it was passed, is that the rule is not a law, and therefore has no penalties associated with it. There is no real incentive - other than avoiding public embarrassment - for lawmakers to adhere to the rule. The WDC report is further evidence that the Assembly must make the rule a law.
Also, the Senate should pass the same sort of prohibition, making it a law rather than a rule. Senators have put no such restriction on themselves yet.
It's good to hear that Rep. Sheridan believes the rule removed a distraction from the budgeting process. It would be far better, though, if 99 Assemblymen followed the rule rather than just 92.
