FREDERICA FREYBERG:

NOW TO POLITICS AND OUR FIRST EDITION OF CAPITOL INSIGHT FOR 2016. AND GIVEN THE DAY OF THE YEAR, YOU HAD TO KNOW A 2015 TOP TEN LIST WAS COMING. WELL, THIS IS KIND OF THAT ON ALL THINGS POLITICS AND POLICY IN WISCONSIN. WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO REPORTER SHAWN JOHNSON JOINS US TO CHIME IN WITH HIS INSIDE TAKE AND WE BREAK IT DOWN. THANKS FOR BEING HERE, SHAWN.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

YOU BET.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WELL, SO THE FIRST THING WE WANTED TO LOOK AT WAS THE POLITICAL HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS OF 2015. WE’RE GOING TO START BY DISCUSSING THE POLITICAL LOWLIGHTS. AND WE CHOSE SCOTT WALKER’S FAILED PRESIDENTIAL BID FOR THAT. A THREE-TIME WINNER IN WISCONSIN SEEMED PRETTY STUNNING. SEEMS TO ME HE MIGHT STILL HAVE A TASTE FOR NATIONAL POLITICS?

SHAWN JOHNSON:

I’M SURE HE DOES. THE TRICK FOR HIM IS GOING TO BE MAKING PEOPLE FORGET ABOUT THE WAY THIS CAMPAIGN WENT IF HE WANTS TO RUN AGAIN IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HE JUST — YOU KNOW, HE REALLY WAS THE FRONT-RUNNER IN THE GOP PRIMARY FOR MANY MONTHS, EVEN THOUGH HE WASN’T OFFICIALLY A CANDIDATE. HE WAS VIEWED AS THE FRONT-RUNNER FOR MUCH OF 2015. GOT IN THE RACE AND, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY AFTER THAT FIRST DEBATE, REALLY PLUMMETED QUICKLY.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

POLITICAL HIGHLIGHT, OF COURSE, WOULD BE PAUL RYAN’S ASCENSION TO SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE. IT’S HISTORIC, TO BE SURE. HE GOT TO SET HIS OWN TERMS.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

HE DID. TALK ABOUT A CONTRAST WITH GOVERNOR WALKER. I MEAN, PAUL RYAN AND SCOTT WALKER WERE BOTH BEING TALKED ABOUT AS MAYBE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES LAST YEAR. PAUL RYAN DID NOT RUN. SAID THIS YEAR HE DID NOT WANT TO BE SPEAKER. SAID IT AGAIN, HE DIDN’T WANT TO BE SPEAKER. AND HE EVENTUALLY BECAME THE ONLY PERSON BASICALLY THAT THE GOP BASE AND ESTABLISHMENT COULD AGREE ON. AND HERE HE IS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

LET’S MOVE ALONG TO OUR TOP FIVE LIST. WE CUT IT DOWN TO FIVE. NUMBER ONE ON OUR LIST, RIGHT TO WORK. AND THIS PASSED EVEN THOUGH GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER HAD SAID IT WASN’T ON HIS AGENDA. AND IT’S SUCH AN ABOUT-FACE IN A STATE LIKE WISCONSIN.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

YEAH. IF YOU LOOK AT THE DRAMA AROUND THIS SPECIFIC BILL AND THE WAY IT PASSED THE LEGISLATURE, IT JUST WASN’T THERE COMPARED TO ACT 10. YOU DIDN’T HAVE THE SIZE OF THE CROWDS OR DEMOCRATS LEAVING WISCONSIN. THIS DRAWN-OUT DEBATE THAT NOBODY WAS SURE HOW IT WAS GOING TO END. IT WAS PRETTY MUCH METHODICAL. THE BILL BECAME LAW. BUT IF YOU LOOK LONG TERM FOR WISCONSIN, IT’S A PRETTY BIG CHANGE FOR A STATE THAT HAS REALLY SUPPORTED UNIONS AND MADE WISCONSIN THE 25TH RIGHT TO WORK STATE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

NUMBER TWO, JOHN DOE TWO AND THE GOP BACKLASH AGAINST THAT.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

YEAH. I MEAN, THIS WASN’T JUST THE END OF THE JOHN DOE TWO INVESTIGATION INTO GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER’S CAMPAIGN AND CONSERVATIVE GROUPS. IT WAS EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT, REALLY. YOU HAD A FEW THINGS THAT THE LEGISLATURE DID ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THEY TOOK AWAY THE JOHN DOE AS A TOOL FOR PROSECUTORS IN CASES OF POLITICAL MISCONDUCT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

GOT RID OF THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

THEY DID. AN AGENCY THAT WAS VERY INVOLVED IN THE INVESTIGATION OF JOHN DOE TWO. AND THEY CODIFIED THE STATE SUPREME COURT’S DECISION ON WHAT CAMPAIGNS CAN DO WITH INTEREST GROUPS. SO THEY CAN COORDINATE PRETTY MUCH UNFETTERED COORDINATION IS NOW ALLOWED IN WISCONSIN BETWEEN THESE GROUPS AND CAMPAIGNS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WE SHOULD SAY THAT THE JOHN DOE TWO HANGS ON BY A THREAD BECAUSE THREE PROSECUTORS INVOLVED IN THAT ARE SEEKING TO INTERVENE AND IT COULD THEN GO TO THE U.S. SUPREME COURT. NUMBER THREE ON THIS LIST IS UW AND INSTITUTIONAL CHANGES AT THE UW, INCLUDING AN EFFORT ON THE PART OF THE ADMINISTRATION TO CHANGE THE WISCONSIN IDEA. CHANGES TO TENURE. AND THEN OF COURSE THE BUDGET CUTS TO THE UNIVERSITY.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

YEAH. I THINK JUST AS A WHOLE, YOU LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT’S HAPPENING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, AND THERE ARE SOME BIG CHANGES. I MEAN, THE ARGUMENT AGAINST THIS BEING ON THE LIST IS, WELL, IT’S JUST A MISSION STATEMENT. EVEN IF THEY CHANGE THE WISCONSIN IDEA IN STATE LAW DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN’T ASPIRE TO THAT AS A UNIVERSITY. BUT IT REALLY DID DOVETAIL WITH A LOT OF THE CHANGES THAT THEY’RE PURSUING IN TERMS OF FUNDING FOR THE UNIVERSITY AND HOW IT’S GOVERNED.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

NUMBER FOUR ON OUR LIST IS OPEN RECORDS AND AN ATTEMPT DURING THE BUDGET TO BASICALLY GUT THE OPEN RECORDS LAWS IN WISCONSIN. OF COURSE, THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN. LEADERSHIP BACKTRACKED AND THOSE CHANGES WERE NOT MADE. AND NOW THERE IS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THESE KINDS OF RECORDS, LIKE TEXT MESSAGES, THAT ARE REGARDED AS TRANSITORY. THIS HITS OUR LIST MOSTLY BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH UPROAR OVER THIS WHEN THAT HAPPENED. BUT IT HAS SETTLED DOWN NOW, IT WOULD SEEM. AND I’M SKIPPING RIGHT OVER TO NUMBER FIVE, IS THE WISCONSIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. AND WE TALK ABOUT THAT IN THIS LIST BECAUSE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION HAD ANOTHER PARTICULARLY BAD YEAR IN 2015 WITH REPORTERS DISCOVERING BAD LOANS MADE TO FAILING BUSINESSES AND THAT KIND OF THING. BUT WHAT WE WANT TO ALSO DO, AS YOU KNOW, IS KIND OF LOOK FORWARD. AND LOOKING FORWARD INTO THE NEXT YEAR, PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

IT’S A NATIONAL ELECTION. IT’S NOT A UNIQUELY WISCONSIN STORY. BUT THE SORT OF CLASH BETWEEN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ESTABLISHMENT AND THE BASE AND WHO THEY END UP PUTTING AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET THERE ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE IS GOING TO AFFECT EVERY OTHER RACE DOWN THE BALLOT IN WISCONSIN, INCLUDING THE APRIL ELECTION FOR WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A CONTESTED GOP PRIMARY THERE BETWEEN DONALD TRUMP, MARCO RUBIO, SENATOR CRUZ. THAT’S GOING TO DRIVE UP TURNOUT ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE AND AFFECT VOTES COMING IN FOR THE STATE SUPREME COURT RACE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND JUST VERY, VERY QUICKLY, WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TALKED WITH LEADERSHIP IN THE MAJORITY AND THEY HAVE SOME IDEAS ABOUT WHAT THEY’RE GOING TO DO IN THE NEXT SESSION, VERY QUICKLY.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

YEAH. SOUNDS LIKE THE CIVIL SERVICE BILL THAT THEY’VE BEEN WORKING ON IS GOING TO PASS THE SENATE RELATIVELY QUICKLY IN 2016. SOUNDS LIKE THE ASSEMBLY WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD ON ENDING THE STATE’S NUCLEAR MORATORIUM. DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE SENATE. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE NOBODY IS GOING TO PASS THIS CAMPUS CARRY ACT THAT REALLY GOT PEOPLE’S ATTENTION.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

THANKS, SHAWN. THANKS VERY MUCH. WE’LL LOOK FORWARD TO MORE OF YOUR REPORTING.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

YOU’RE WELCOME.