The 260 candidates that ran campaigns for the Wisconsin Legislature spent almost $10 million in 2004, according to a report released by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Monday.
Candidates spent $9.94 million, an increase of 18 percent from 2000, despite the fact that nearly half of the Legislative positions were either unopposed contests or had token opposition, the WDC said. The nearly $10 million is a record for legislative campaigns in Wisconsin.
Of greater concern is the relationship between spending and winning. In 101 of the 115 legislative races in 2004, the candidate that spent the most won the election, according to the WDC.
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a businessman-turned-politician who led Lebanon for 10 years, was killed Monday in a bombing that destroyed his armored motorcade.
At least nine others were killed and more than 100 injured in the explosion, which damaged several hotels and buildings along Beirut's waterfront.
Hariri resigned in October to protest Syrian involvement in Lebanon. His death comes at a critical time for Syria, which has controlled Lebanon since 1990.
Lebanese opposition leaders blamed the assassination on Syria and its allies in the Lebanese government, but officials in Damascus denied any involvement. The only claim of responsibility came from an Islamic militant group calling itself the \Victory and Holy War Organization in the Levant.'
Immigrants would have to provide proof they are in the United States legally to get a Wisconsin driver's license under legislation proposed today.
The bill, authored by Rep. Mark Gundrum, R-New Berlin, also would tie the expiration date of the state-issued ID to that of the foreign citizen's visa. The legislation aims at preventing terrorist attacks and making Wisconsin and the country ""a little more secure,"" Gundrum said Monday at a news conference at Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport.
He said the 19 hijackers involved in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks had 63 driver's licenses among them.
""We don't want to end up being the cause or the contributor of one of the great tragedies of this nation,"" Gundrum said. Wisconsin is one of 10 states that do not require proof of legal immigration status for the issuance of driver's licenses.
