It seems like common sense that a lawmaker entrusted with the power to regulate the private sector should not be allowed to take up a lucrative position lobbying for those very same industries immediately after leaving office. Yet this very scenario has played out over and over at all levels of government.
As the amount of money funneled into lobbying efforts by corporations continues to rise, state Reps. Spencer Black, D-Madison, and Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point, have proposed new legislation aimed at curtailing this ""revolving door"" affect. The proposed law, which forbids state lawmakers from working as lobbyists for one year after leaving office, is both timely and practical.
In Wisconsin, as well as the rest of the nation, the threat of corruption has become an increasingly large obstacle to public trust of the government. This law would not only help to prevent unethical behavior by lawmakers, but would also help to restore some of this lost trust.
Black and Lassa's proposal is a logical step toward a more ethical government, especially in light of the current push for ethics reform in both Wisconsin and Washington. A law already enforces a grace period for members of the federal Congress seeking lobbying jobs. Years ago, the Wisconsin state Legislature passed a law creating a one-year waiting period for state officials, however, the lawmakers themselves were exempted from the rule. The new proposal would close this conspicuous loophole.
It should be said that this proposal is no silver bullet. Even with the law in place, lawmakers will still be the targets of unwanted influence from the private sector. Nor is all lobbying necessarily bad, as organizations have the right to make their case to the government.
As economic clout continues to give disproportionately greater power of persuasion to a wealthy few, ordinary citizens have to know their representatives will still be responsive to their needs. This proposal is one way of reassuring them.
