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Notes from the West Wing

By State Representative Garey Bies

Ethics Reform

            For this edition of Notes from the West Wing, I thought I would talk a bit about the passage of a major ethics reform package by the State Legislature this week.  The bi-partisan proposal was approved overwhelmingly in both the Assembly and State Senate and will likely be signed by the Governor in the next few days.

            When I was first elected to the State Assembly, the first vote I took was to eliminate the partisan caucuses and I am just as proud of this most recent vote which is important in the effort to restore the credibility and confidence Wisconsin residents have in their state government.

            The bipartisan ethics reform legislation keeps Wisconsin on the cutting edge of ethics reform and highlights what can be accomplished when Republicans and Democrats work together.  The legislation was approved in the Senate on a vote of 33-0 and in the Assembly on a vote of 97-2.

            This revolutionary legislation is far reaching and represents a major overhaul of the State Ethics Board and Elections Board.  Some of the highlights of the proposal are:

• The proposal merges the State Elections Board and State Ethics Board into one independent and non-partisan Government Accountability Board (GAB) which will have the authority to investigate criminal and civil violations of the state’s ethics, campaign finance and election laws.
• The GAB will not need approval from the Legislature or the Governor to fund or initiate investigations, guaranteeing independence and fairness. However, an individual investigation must receive reauthorization from the GAB for funds above $10,000.
• The GAB will have the authority to contract with outside investigators. This allows the Board to hire investigators who specialize in the area of ethics and/or election law that may have been violated.
• Any civil matters will be prosecuted by the GAB. Criminal matters investigated by the Board will be referred to an elected District Attorney for prosecution.

The GAB will be a six-member panel comprised of retired judges selected by the Supreme Court, nominated by the governor and confirmed by the Legislature.  This panel will be part of a system that will fairly and professionally hold elected officials accountable to the citizens of Wisconsin.

While I wholeheartedly support this ethics reform legislation, I don’t think the Legislature is done with its work in this area.  Next, I think the Legislature must tackle campaign finance reform.  At the end of last session I introduced legislation concerning campaign finance reporting.  The legislation had broad bi-partisan support and passed the Assembly on a vote of 95-1.  In the next few weeks, I will be re-introducing that legislation and I hope it again receives great support.  I believe that there needs to be better reporting of campaign financing for all individuals and groups that are involved in campaign activity.  I am looking forward to working on this issue.

As always, if you have questions or comments on this column or any other topic you might see or read in the news, please do not hesitate to contact me.  I can be reached by e-mail at Rep.Bies@legis.wisconsin.gov or by telephone, toll-free at 1-888-482-0001.  I’m also on the web at http://www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/asm01/news/.