GAB Destruction and Campaign Finance Deform Before Assembly Today

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For Release: Wednesday - October 21, 2015

Destruction of Independent, Non-Partisan GAB
&
Deregulation of Campaign Finance Law
Both Get a Vote in Assembly Today

On Wednesday, the Republican legislative leaders in the Assembly have scheduled for a vote, Assembly Bill 388, the completely unjustified legislation premised on a long sequence of unsubstantiated charges, false premises and fabricated events that would destroy the non-partisan Government Accountability Board, established in 2007.

Common Cause in Wisconsin has long opposed this legislation, which would replace six non-partisan, retired judges with 12 partisan hacks who will, instead, act at the bidding of partisan legislative leaders and the Governor. And the ability of the GAB to investigate corruption will be eviscerated. This legislation will ensure that Wisconsin's elections, campaign finance law, ethics and lobbying law will be enforced – not according to the law or for the public interest – but instead for narrow, partisan political advantage and to shield corruption.

Not a single daily newspaper in Wisconsin supports this measure. Not one. That is telling.

We have already said a lot about the need to preserve the GAB, as is, and you can review it here, here, here, and here.

Here is Jay Heck's testimony against AB 388 delivered on October 13th at the Capitol legislative hearing.

Also on Wednesday, the Assembly is scheduled to vote on Assembly Bill 387, the massive and secret hyper-partisan Republican re-write of Wisconsin's campaign finance law that was unveiled for the first time only 14 days ago and was made even worse than it was, as introduced, during a committee executive session on the legislation on October 15th.

In short, Assembly Bill 387 will allow much more secret money from outside of Wisconsin to influence our elections and dictate our public policy-making process. It will codify into law formerly illegal campaign coordination and allow legislative leaders to collect unlimited money for their legislative campaign committee "slush funds," which they control and which will guarantee virtual complete dictatorial power over rank and file members and allow far more secret money to influence everything that happens in the State Capitol. Scandal will likely follow in the not-too-distant future.

Again, not a single Wisconsin newspaper has endorsed this disgraceful measure. A sampling of those who oppose it are here and here.

To review why this legislation is so horrific for Wisconsin, go here, here, and here.

Here is Jay Heck's testimony against AB 387 delivered at the October 13th Capitol legislative hearing.

We must fight these measures and today is the last day to do it in the Assembly! Even if you have already done so, and particularly if you have not done so yet:

Call or email your State Representative TODAY and demand they oppose these two bills: AB 388 and AB 387. (If you don't know who your State Representatives are, go here.)

Never surrender!

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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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