Spearheading ethics reform in the state senate, the new Majority Leader Judy Robson, D-Beloit, plans to terminate the controversial practice of using paper ballots to vote on bills.
Robson wants all voting to occur during public meetings. ""One of [Robson's] priorities is to make the legislative process more inclusive and open to the public,"" Robson spokesperson Kelley Flury said.
Former state senate majority leader Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, implemented healthy use of the paper ballot voting system after confirmation from both parties that it was a convenient way to vote. ""It was [Schultz's] belief that it was the most efficient way to run the senate,"" Shultz spokesperson Todd Allbaugh said.
The paper ballot system, in use for decades, gave committees two options for sending their bills to a senate wide vote. The committee could either bring the bill up in a senate wide meeting or send the bill out in paper ballot form. Lawmakers would then return their vote to a clerk for tallying and publication of votes.
Last year, 22 percent of votes were tallied via paper ballot, including the constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
Criticism arose over the lack of public notice given with the use of paper ballot voting. Flury said that Robson agrees that the paper ballots make it harder for the public to access votes. Flury added that public meetings encourage politicians to say something about their vote.
A concern from Schultz headquarters regards senators who may have to travel during a committee meeting on a vote. Allbaugh said in prior years, paper ballots guaranteed any minority a vote. Without a paper ballot in place, the ways for a missing senator to vote become unclear, according to Allbaugh.
In a presented scenario, Allbaugh sees senate majority making decisions unilaterally, leeching a vote from a traveling politician. Citing Robson's desired changes, Allbaugh said, ""It can be seen as a power grab.""
UW-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin said the changes, though they create schedule conflicts for distant northern senators who will now be required to attend all meetings to vote, won't significantly affect the way state government actually functions. ""I wouldn't expect the nature of public policy to suddenly change,"" Franklin said.
Franklin said he sees neither party benefiting from Robson's proposed changes.
Robson and future Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, are scheduled to meet in the coming week to discuss Robson's paper ballot abolishing plan and other issues.
