For Release: Monday - June 29, 2015
As the state budget impasse between the Republican State Senate, Assembly and Governor Scott Walker continues, it is obvious that the new budget, in whatever form, will not be signed into law by the statutory deadline – which is Tuesday. This, then, is hardly the time to be shaking down lobbyists, special interest groups, and constituents for campaign cash. However, CC/WI has identified three such events, scheduled for this week (including two this evening), that should be postponed. The organizers of these three events know darn well that they should not be engaging in fundraising until after they complete the primary job they have as legislators – namely, to finish work on the state budget bill. But they have gone ahead anyway. Tone deafness, evidently. More on who they are a bit later.
In late May, CC/WI called on Joint Finance Committee Co-Chair, State Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills), to postpone a Madison fundraising event that she had scheduled with her special guest, State Representative John Nygren (R-Marinette), her fellow JFC Co-Chair. To Senator Darling's credit, she did postpone the event, and she also postponed another event she had scheduled for last week.
Earlier this month, CC/WI called on State Senator Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point) to postpone an event she had scheduled in Plover, and Senator Lassa also graciously agreed to postpone her event until the budget was done.
Similarly, the State Senate Democrats just very recently agreed to postpone a campaign fundraising event they had scheduled for tomorrow evening that CC/WI had called on them to postpone.
However, in just the past few days it has come to our attention that three more campaign fundraising events have been scheduled for this week, when work on the budget ought to be very intense. All three should be postponed immediately and rescheduled for after the business of the citizens is completed.
Tonight, Milwaukee-area Assembly Democrats have a campaign cash shakedown scheduled in Milwaukee.
Also tonight, State Representative John Maaco (R-Green Bay) is hosting a relatively low-dollar event at his home. While special interest groups and lobbyists are not likely to be attending, Maaco should still put getting the state budget finished ahead of raising money for his next campaign. Postpone it!
Likewise, tomorrow night, also in Milwaukee, State Rep. Daniel Riemer (D-Milwaukee) scheduled a budget-period fundraising event that he knows should be postponed yet again. Let's hope he does so.
Senators Darling, Lassa and the State Senate Democrats wisely did the right thing by postponing their fundraising events while the state budget is still under active consideration. The Assembly Democrats and State Representatives Maaco and Riemer need to do the right thing and postpone their events scheduled for tonight and tomorrow evening.
We will let you know if they did or not.
CONTACT:
Jay Heck
608/256-2686 (office)
608/512-9363 (cell)
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
608/256-2686
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