Common Cause in Wisconsin Reform Update - October 26, 2011
On the road again to...
Wausau
Milwaukee
Oshkosh
While the Governor and the Legislature are in Madison putting the finishing touches on passing legislation to reform -- or deform -- Wisconsin on issues ranging from money in elections to voting rights, the real discussion and work on these issues occurs in communities throughout the state with the citizens who must bear the real-life consequences of the lawmakers' actions or inaction.
Common Cause in Wisconsin has been traveling around the Badger state for years to get the word out about the need for political reform. We do not just "preach to the choir" of people who already agree with us, but rather try to engage with citizens and legislators of all points of view to make our case. 1. This past Monday evening, CC/WI organized another public forum -- this time in Wausau -- in a long sequence of similar events over the past five years entitled "What Ever Happened to Good Government in Wisconsin -- And How Can We Fix it?" More than 150 citizens attended the forum at the University of Wisconsin - Marathon County and panelists included State Representative Donna Seidel (D-Wausau), former State Senator Walter John Chilsen (R-Wausau), Kevin Hermening, the former Chair of the Marathon County Republican Party and legislative candidate, UW-Marathon County Political Science Professor Eric Giordano and CC/WI Director Jay Heck. The panel discussion and lively audience participation was moderated by Rob Mentzer, the editorial page editor of the Wausau Daily Herald.
An article that included the following video highlights of the event appeared in the Wausau Daily Herald:
The Herald also ran this article in the form of questions of and answers from Jay Heck about political reform issues. and this editorial about the forum.
2. Tomorrow, Thursday - October 27th, Jay Heck will be in Milwaukee as part of a panel to discuss whether or not it is time to replace elections for the Wisconsin Supreme Court with a merit selection process in the wake of three very nasty and expensive state supreme court elections in the last five years. The event is free and open to the public and more details can be found here (Scroll down to October 27th program).
3. On Monday evening, November 7th, another CC/WI forum is scheduled at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh with a program similar to the Wausau gathering. In addition to Jay Heck, panelists will include newly elected State Senator Jessica King (D-Oshkosh), State Representative Richard Spanbauer (R-Oshkosh), State Representative Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh), UW-Oshkosh Communications Professor Tony Palmeri and UW-Oshkosh Political Science Professor James Simmons. More details can be found here.
Turn out and attend the nearest CC/WI reform gathering of your choice and make your voice heard!
Jay Heck, Executive Director
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
608/256-2686
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Panelists: State Senator Jessica King (D-Oshkosh),
State Representative Richard Spanbauer (R-Oshkosh),
State Representative Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh), Jonathan Krause Program/News Director - WOSH Radio
and former GOP Candidate for the State Assembly,
UW-Oshkosh Political Science Professor James Simmons,
UW-Oshkosh Communications Professor Tony Palmeri
and CC/WI Executive Director Jay Heck.
Moderator: Jim Fitzhenry - Managing Editor of the Oshkosh Northwestern Please come join in the discussion and learn more about:
Will the new Voter Photo ID suppress voter fraud or voters?
Should we elect or appoint Wisconsin's Supreme Court Justices?
Is Public Financing of our state elections needed
Is Disclosure of interest-group “phony issue ads” and other “outside” spending – is this necessary or would it stifle “free speech”
Redistricting reform in Wisconsin – how do we do it?
How will the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Citizens United vs F.E.C affect Wisconsin?
TO TACKLE VITAL CAMPAIGN AND ELECTION REFORM ISSUES
Monday Evening, October 24th
6:30 - 8:00 PM
Auditorium - Main Building
UW-Marathon County 518 South 7th Ave, Wausau, WI
Wisconsin has undergone unprecedented political turmoil and upheaval in 2011. The state once known as the “laboratory for democracy” has undergone tumultuous change in the way it will conduct elections and consider public policy in the future. And the core political fabric of Wisconsin – once heralded as a national model – has been dramatically transformed this year.
Are these changes detrimental to our state’s political process or were they needed and will they improve it?
Prior to 2011, public financing of statewide and legislative elections, including state supreme court races, helped to ensure that our legislators and our state’s highest court were beholden to the public rather than to powerful special interest groups with deep pockets for the financing of their campaigns. Wisconsin was one of the first states in the nation to implement a public financing system back in 1977. In a stunning move, Governor Scott Walker and his legislative allies gutted the state’s public financing system by raiding its funding source in order to help pay for implementation of the new Photo Voter ID law. The new “Impartial Justice” Law that provided full public financing to state supreme court candidates, who agreed to abide by spending limits of $400,000, was repealed after less than two years of its enactment.
On May 25th, Governor Scott Walker signed the Photo Voter Photo ID Bill into law— transforming Wisconsin from one of the easiest states in the country in which to cast a ballot to the most restrictive state in the nation in which to vote. Proponents of this new law insist that its objective is to prevent voter fraud. But was voter fraud really a problem in Wisconsin? Or, was the real goal of this measure to decrease voter turnout -- currently the second highest in the nation?
These and other campaign and election reform issues are more important than ever as we deal with the continuing fallout of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United vs Federal Election Commission— a decision that, among other things, allows corporations, labor unions and other interest groups to use unlimited money from their general treasury coffers to run outside communications, providing these entities with far greater influence on the outcome of elections at both the federal and state levels. And the citizens of Wisconsin are still in the dark about who is really behind this flood of “outside” campaign spending and the constant barrage of interest group “phony issue ads” we see during the election season.
Is this lack of disclosure "free speech" or is it a perversion of democracy?
How will the Citizens United decision affect Wisconsin and does it matter? How can we find out who is really behind those vicious attack ads and is it important that we know? Will the new Photo Voter ID law prevent voter fraud? Or will it disenfranchise students, urban dwellers, minority groups, the elderly and disabled -- and ultimately depress voter turnout in Wisconsin? And should redistricting be taken out of the hands of partisan legislators and put into the hands of a non-partisan entity to draw congressional and legislative districts as required by law every ten years?
These important political reform issues will be the focus of discussion in Wausau this coming Monday during a "Reform Forum" organized by CC/WI entitled:
"What Ever Happened to Good Government in Wisconsin?
And How Can We Fix It?
Panelists* will include:
State Representative Donna Seidel (D-Wausau)
Former Republican State Senator Walter John Chilsen
Former Republican Party Chairman of Marathon County Kevin Hermening
Political Science Professor Eric Giordano of UW-Marathon County
Executive Director Jay Heck of Common Cause in Wisconsin
Editorial Page Editor Rob Mentzer of the Wausau Daily Herald will serve as Moderator.
*State Senator Pam Galloway (R-Wausau) and State Representative Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon) were both invited to participate but were unable to do so.
Please join us at this free public forum for what we anticipate will be a lively discussion.
"What Ever Happened to Good Government in Wisconsin? And How Can We Fix It?"
Monday, October 24, 2011
6:30 – 8:00 PM
Main Building - Auditorium
UW-Marathon County - 518 South 7th Ave Wausau, Wisconsin
** Event is Free... and so are the cookies! **
Panelists: State Representative Donna Seidel (D-Wausau), Walter John Chilsen - Former Republican State Senator (1966 - 1990), Kevin Hermening - Former Republican Party Chairman of Marathon County
and Legislative Candidate, Eric Giordano - UW Political Science Professor and
Director of the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service (WIPPS)
and CC/WI Executive Director Jay Heck.
Moderator: Editorial Page Editor Rob Mentzer of the Wausau Daily Herald Please come join in the discussion and learn more about:
Will the new Voter Photo ID suppress voter fraud or voters?
Should we elect or appoint Wisconsin's Supreme Court Justices?
Is Public Financing of our state elections needed
Is Disclosure of interest-group “phony issue ads” and other “outside” spending – is this necessary or would it stifle “free speech”
Redistricting reform in Wisconsin – how do we do it?
How will the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Citizens United vs F.E.C affect Wisconsin?
Presented byCommon Cause inWisconsin
(Underwritten by The Joyce Foundation)
Co-Sponsored by:
Political Science Department
American Association of University Women - Wisconsin American Association of University Women - Wausau Branch
League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Education Network League of Women Voters of Stevens Point Area
For a list of the Wisconsin candidates in 2024 who reported to CC/WI their support for nonpartisan independent redistricting reform:
About Us
Common Cause in Wisconsin(CC/WI) We are a non-partisan, non-profit citizen's lobby that focuses on campaign finance, election, and lobby reform, open meetings law and other issues concerning the promotion and maintenance of "clean," open, responsive and accountable government.
