Both the state Senate and Assembly passed an ethics reform bill Tuesday, culminating in a bipartisan effort to revamp ethics and elections laws in the state of Wisconsin. All 33 senators passed the bill, and the Assembly passed it with a 97-2 vote.
The bill would replace the current Ethics Board and Election Board with a Government Accountability Board. Members of this board would be former judges nominated by the governor and confirmed by the legislature.
State Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, called the approved bill ""a significant victory for clean government"" in a statement and said the vote today ""shows that Wisconsin is serious about having the best and toughest system of enforcing ethics and elections laws in the nation.""
Many legislators praised the bipartisan nature of the bill, including state Rep. James Kreuser, D-Kenosha.
""I'm excited about how this got here today,"" Kreuser said. ""I hope this acts as a model of how we can pass other legislation.""
The greatest point of contention among representatives centered on a venue provision in the bill that would allow legislators who violate the law to have their case heard in their district instead of Dane County.
State Rep. Fred Kessler, D-Milwaukee, said the provision violated the state Constitution and should not be included in the bill.
""This bill gives a special privilege that doesn't go to anyone else to the political class,"" he said.
State Rep. Mark Gundrum, R-New Berlin, disagreed and said the offenses committed ""are very unique"" and ""are offenses of the public trust."" Gundrum went on to say the violations are against the legislator's constituents and not the people of Dane County, and therefore should be tried in the legislator's district.
Only two representatives voted against the bill, including state Rep. Frank Boyle, D-Superior, who said the bill failed to address the issue of financing campaigns, making it ineffective.
""Under the guise of ethics reform, we have done nothing to reform this system,"" Boyle said. He said the election process is ""a process of money"" and ""deceit"" and required reform.
The bill now goes to Gov. Jim Doyle, who is expected to sign it.
