Free pass to lie about candidates, their positions, and the truth in general. That pretty much sums up how so called "issue ads" in Wisconsin play out every election cycle. Paid for by anonymous illegal donations, the Government Accountability Board has a clear ability to regulate these ads now. The special interest groups that line up saying that regulation of the ads will be found unconstitutional. I beg to differ; how about we stop speculating and make it happen and see what the courts do?
Regulation of issue ads, like the regulation of pornography, is legal because fraudulent lies and illegal donations paying for campaign ads are offensive to the public and against current campaign laws that make these donations illegal.
Nothing would please me more than to stop each and every issue ad from ever leaving the special interest political hack's desk - that however might be a challenge in court. So let's take the easier road and regulate the issue ads so that they cannot mention the name of any candidate, show the likeness of any candidate, mention an election, or make any statements about those candidates - they can only mention an issue. This is the way to regulate issue ads and avoid a difficult court battle.
This column is written when I am very angry because once again so-called "issue ads" are using a blatant lie to try to affect the outcome of an election and in this instance they are lying about an issue I feel very strong about - Healthy Wisconsin. As the author of Healthy Wisconsin and someone who has spent thousands of hours debating the value of offering every person in Wisconsin the same health insurance I have, I am deeply offended when special interest groups use my proposal to lie about candidates around the state.
All Children Matter, an issue ad organization we have seen before, is comfortable with their lies and that they can get away with it. I am not and no one should be. Can anyone really say that a mailer sent out to a specific district slamming a specific candidate with inflammatory lies is not trying to influence an election? Can we continue to allow this disease to plague our election because of threats and lies? Let's stop this now, once and for all.
I cannot end without correcting the blatant lies in the All Children Matter ads that have been repeated by Assembly candidates like Brett Davis.
Healthy Wisconsin Fact Check:
• Healthy Wisconsin contains a 12-month waiting period for anyone moving to the state to get coverage unless they are immediately employed.
• If someone is gainfully employed, then they are paying their fair share for coverage under Healthy Wisconsin, period. Employers are legally responsible for making sure their workers are documented. The Federal Government should tighten those laws.
• Under Healthy Wisconsin, the typical Wisconsin family will pay $1,300 less per year for health care premiums than they are paying now. No matter how All Children Matters lies, they cannot dispute that Healthy Wisconsin would change how health care is paid for while protecting our care system and will put more money in the hands of Wisconsin families.
Regulation of issue ads cannot come soon enough. We must continue to call out candidates that benefit from issue ads, especially those that repeat the lies. For more information on issue ad regulation contact my office at (888) 549-0027 or (608) 266-6670.
- Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, represents the 27th Senate District in south central Wisconsin. He, along with Republican Sen. Mike Ellis, has authored bipartisan issue ad regulation bills in four consecutive Legislative sessions.
Regulation of issue ads, like the regulation of pornography, is legal because fraudulent lies and illegal donations paying for campaign ads are offensive to the public and against current campaign laws that make these donations illegal.
Nothing would please me more than to stop each and every issue ad from ever leaving the special interest political hack's desk - that however might be a challenge in court. So let's take the easier road and regulate the issue ads so that they cannot mention the name of any candidate, show the likeness of any candidate, mention an election, or make any statements about those candidates - they can only mention an issue. This is the way to regulate issue ads and avoid a difficult court battle.
This column is written when I am very angry because once again so-called "issue ads" are using a blatant lie to try to affect the outcome of an election and in this instance they are lying about an issue I feel very strong about - Healthy Wisconsin. As the author of Healthy Wisconsin and someone who has spent thousands of hours debating the value of offering every person in Wisconsin the same health insurance I have, I am deeply offended when special interest groups use my proposal to lie about candidates around the state.
All Children Matter, an issue ad organization we have seen before, is comfortable with their lies and that they can get away with it. I am not and no one should be. Can anyone really say that a mailer sent out to a specific district slamming a specific candidate with inflammatory lies is not trying to influence an election? Can we continue to allow this disease to plague our election because of threats and lies? Let's stop this now, once and for all.
I cannot end without correcting the blatant lies in the All Children Matter ads that have been repeated by Assembly candidates like Brett Davis.
Healthy Wisconsin Fact Check:
• Healthy Wisconsin contains a 12-month waiting period for anyone moving to the state to get coverage unless they are immediately employed.
• If someone is gainfully employed, then they are paying their fair share for coverage under Healthy Wisconsin, period. Employers are legally responsible for making sure their workers are documented. The Federal Government should tighten those laws.
• Under Healthy Wisconsin, the typical Wisconsin family will pay $1,300 less per year for health care premiums than they are paying now. No matter how All Children Matters lies, they cannot dispute that Healthy Wisconsin would change how health care is paid for while protecting our care system and will put more money in the hands of Wisconsin families.
Regulation of issue ads cannot come soon enough. We must continue to call out candidates that benefit from issue ads, especially those that repeat the lies. For more information on issue ad regulation contact my office at (888) 549-0027 or (608) 266-6670.
- Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, represents the 27th Senate District in south central Wisconsin. He, along with Republican Sen. Mike Ellis, has authored bipartisan issue ad regulation bills in four consecutive Legislative sessions.
