The People's Legislature, a citizen-run democracy watchdog group, held a public hearing regarding political corruption and campaign finance at the Capitol Monday, addressing their questions to cardboard cut-outs of prominent Wisconsin politicians.
Gov. Jim Doyle, Assembly Speaker John Gard, R-Peshtigo, and Senate Majority Leader Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, were all invited to address questions. However, none were in attendance Monday morning.
Much of the hearing's focus was on Assembly Bill 626, a proposal that would call for public financing of elections for certain state held offices.
Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann was among those that gave live testimony. He advocated for a cleaner government and said the state of Wisconsin needs to shine light onto campaign finance issues.
'The Capitol is on fire, and I don't know if most people in our state know that,' McCann said.
McCann also said because the average state Senate race costs an upwards of $1 million, large contributors are becoming increasingly important.
'If ideology is fueled by secret money, it disgusts me,' McCann said. 'The ambition for integrity can be compromised.'
Lyndee Woodliff, former staffer for the state Assembly Republican Caucus, testified about her decision of delivering evidence of illegal campaigning in March 2001.
'There is a problem of conscience. Many leaders have no shame,' she said. 'Lawmakers were lawbreakers. Can we trust them to make our laws'?
Woodliff urged Wisconsin's citizens to demand justice and fight for the truth.
When addressing questions concerning AB 626, Todd Allbaugh, spokesperson for Schultz, said the Senate has worked hard to advance campaign finance reform at the state level.
'For the first time in decades, we've actually put a campaign finance reform bill on the floor,' Allbaugh said. 'A majority of Republicans in the Senate voted for that plan. If the majority of the Democrats in the Senate had voted for it, it would have passed.'
Allbaugh also added the Senate's passage of Senate Bill 1, legislation that would merge the Ethics Election Board into one larger body, was another example of onward campaign reform legislation.
'It would give them greater governmental oversight in campaigns and elections in this state, which will hold people in campaigns more accountable,' Allbaugh said.
