Here & Now

Shawn Johnson Shares Latest News From Capitol

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

BUT FIRST THE STATE SENATE WAS IN EXTRAORDINARY SESSION TODAY TO TAKE ACTION ON BILLS THAT INCLUDE THOSE PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY THAT WOULD DISMANTLE THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD AND MAKE CHANGES TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS. WE CHECKED IN WITH WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO REPORTER SHAWN JOHNSON FROM THE CAPITOL AS THE STATE SENATE WAS IN SESSION. AND HI, SHAWN.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

HEY FREDERICA.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO SENATE LEADERS HAD TO SPEND TIME IN THE LATTER PART OF THIS AFTERNOON TO WRANGLE THE VOTES AND COMMIT TO THE NEW LANGUAGE IN THE BILLS. WHAT IS THE EXPECTATION AS TO CHANGES IN THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY BILL?

SHAWN JOHNSON:

WE KNOW THAT THEY’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ONE BIG ONE IN THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD BILL. AND THAT IS RIGHT NOW THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD IS RUN BY SIX JUDGES. UNDER THE BILL THAT PASSED THE ASSEMBLY, IT WOULD BE DISMANTLED, REPLACED BY AN ELECTIONS COMMISSION AND AN ETHICS COMMISSION, AND THEY WOULD STAFFED BY PARTISAN APPOINTEES. SO WHAT THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT DOING IN THE SENATE IS ADDING TWO JUDGES BACK TO THAT NEW ETHICS COMMISSION AND RIPON REPUBLICAN SENATOR LUTHER OLSEN HAD THIS TO SAY ABOUT WHY HE SUPPORTS THE IDEA OF ADDING JUDGES BACK.

LUTHER OLSEN:

BECAUSE I DIDN’T WANT TO HAVE AN ETHICS BOARD THAT’S JUST GRIDLOCKED AND CAN’T GET ANYTHING DONE. BUT I DIDN’T WANT ONE THAT WAS JUST GOING TO GO ROLL, EITHER.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND SO WHAT SENATOR OLSEN IS SAYING HERE IS THAT THOSE WHO LIKE THE IDEA OF JUDGES ON THE COMMISSION THINK IT WILL MAKE IT SO THAT THERE’S NOT A TIE VOTE AND NOTHING GETS DECIDED ON A GIVEN ETHICS COMPLAINT, BUT HAVING PARTISANS WILL KEEP THINGS IN CHECK BECAUSE REPUBLICANS BELIEVE THAT THE GAB KIND OF WENT OFF THE RAILS. WHAT ABOUT ON THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE BILL? WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT ANY MAJOR AMENDMENTS THERE?

SHAWN JOHNSON:

IT’S A LITTLE MORE VAGUE THERE BECAUSE WE HAVEN’T ACTUALLY SEEN THE LANGUAGE OF WHAT THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT. ONE OF THE THINGS THEY’VE BEEN DISCUSSING IS WHETHER OR NOT TO KEEP SOMETHING THAT’S IN CURRENT LAW IN WISCONSIN WHERE RIGHT NOW IF YOU GIVE TO A POLITICAL CANDIDATE YOU HAVE TO LIST YOUR EMPLOYER. THE BILL THAT PASSED THE ASSEMBLY WOULD REMOVE THAT REQUIREMENT SO YOU COULD GIVE TO A CANDIDATE, YOU WOULDN’T HAVE TO LIST WHO YOU WORK FOR. SENATE REPUBLICANS ARE TALKING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT TO PUT THAT BACK IN. AND IF THEY PUT IT BACK IN, WHETHER TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF A HIGHER THRESHOLD, WHERE ONLY IF YOU GIVE ABOVE $200 YOU HAVE TO LIST YOUR EMPLOYER.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO IF THESE CHANGES COME TO PASS, THEY REALLY DON’T SEEM SUPER SUBSTANTIVE. IT SEEMS THE SENATE IS JUST NIBBLING AROUND THE EDGES.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

YEAH. I MEAN IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT REMAINS IN THE BILL, SOME PRETTY BIG STUFF, THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD BILL. RIGHT NOW THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD HAS AN INDEPENDENT FUNDING STREAM TO PURSUE INVESTIGATIONS. THEY DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT RUNNING OUT OF MONEY IF THEY’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INVESTIGATION. THEY CAN KIND OF GO WHERE THAT INVESTIGATION TAKES THEM. UNDER THE BILL THAT IS POISED TO PASS THE SENATE, THAT FUNDING STREAM WOULD BE GONE AND THEY’D HAVE TO POTENTIALLY GO BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE TO ASK FOR MORE MONEY TO CONTINUE AN INVESTIGATION, POTENTIALLY OF LEGISLATORS. AND THEN YOU LOOK AT THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE BILLS, THERE’S SOME PRETTY BIG CHANGES THERE THAT ARE GOING TO BE IN THIS BILL. ONE IS GOING TO ALLOW FOR NEAR UNFETTERED COORDINATION BETWEEN INTEREST GROUPS THAT KEEP THEIR DONORS SECRET AND CANDIDATES. ANOTHER ONE WOULD ALLOW FOR UNLIMITED CONTRIBUTIONS INCLUDING UNLIMITED CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CORPORATIONS TO POLITICAL PARTIES AND LEGISLATIVE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEES. THOSE ARE NOT ISSUES THAT ANYBODY IS TALKING ABOUT TAKING OUT OF THE BILL. THOSE ARE GOING TO STAY IN.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND SO YOU ALSO TALKED WITH MINORITY LEADER JENNIFER SHILLING, AND SHE TOLD YOU THIS THIS AFTERNOON.

JENNIFER SHILLING:

THIS IS STILL BAD PUBLIC POLICY IN THIS STATE. IT STILL IS GOING TO LEAD TO MORE COERCION WITH SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS AND WITH CANDIDATES. THERE’S GOING TO BE MORE MONEY IN THE PROCESS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO WE KNOW THAT THE SENATE IS OUT AT CAUCUS NOW, AS WE’VE SAID, WRANGLING KIND OF THE VOTES AND THE CHANGES IN THESE BILLS. DO YOU EXPECT IT TO BE A LONG NIGHT TONIGHT?

SHAWN JOHNSON:

IT COULD BE. I MEAN, THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE A FEW DAYS AGO THE LEADER OF THE SENATE, SCOTT FITZGERALD, SAID HE HAD THE VOTES, HE WOULDN’T BE HERE IF HE DIDN’T. BUT THE SENATE’S BEEN HERE SINCE THIS MORNING AND WE STILL HAVEN’T SEEN WHAT EXACTLY THEY’RE GOING TO DO.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SHAWN, THANKS VERY MUCH.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

YOU’RE WELCOME.