Wisconsin lawmakers now find themselves deadlocked in the struggle for ethics reform, as the split Joint Finance Committee is next in line to vote on the Ethics Reform Bill.
After the Senate Finance Committee voted unanimously on Tuesday to throw out the non-severability clause of bill, eight Democrats and eight Republicans will decide its fate.
Government watchdog group, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, said the Senate Finance Committee's decisions progress political ethics in Wisconsin, according to Director Mike McCabe. ""We got rid of the poison-pill,"" he said, referring to the non-severability clause. If included, the entire ethics bill could have been thrown out if a court found any one part of it unconstitutional.
Though split among party lines, members of the Joint Committee are confident they can agree on a strong ethics bill.
""I have the feeling that negotiations are still in the works by leadership, and by the time we take it up, hopefully there will be an agreed upon version by everyone,"" said Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison.
The Senate Ethics Committee voted against including an amendment Sen. Mike Ellis, R-Neenah, introduced in the meeting. The amendment would have tackled a provision of the bill that says politicians who violate the new ethics reforms could only be tried in their home county. Ellis's amendment would also give the new Government Accountability Board and the attorney general prosecution privileges.
The Wisconsin League of Women Voters, a group that withdrew support for the Ethics Bill as it stood Monday, expressed concern, in a statement, with the provision Ellis sought to expel.
Echoing the WLWV, McCabe said the Ellis proposal would have been ""ideal."" However, he understands why the Senate Finance Committee declined the amendment. ""I think they were concerned that some things could be deal breakers,"" McCabe said.
Referring to the Ellis proposal, Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee, Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison said, ""it was a feeling that we had sufficient enforcement of authority in the bill.""
However, if the bill remains severable after the Joint Finance Committee's meeting, then the issue of whether or not politicians only being tried in their home county is constitutional could be resolved in court without nullifying the entire ethics reform bill.
""If the non-severability clause remains in, it would be possible to amend the bill,"" Risser said.
Attorney General J.B Van Hollen said he is pleased with the Legislature's efforts. ""Under the amended proposal, local district attorneys as well as other departments of government will be able to seek the Department of Justice's assistance in enforcing these important laws,"" Van Hollen said in a statement.
