Little action has been taken on campaign finance reform this legislative session, despite Gov. Jim Doyle calling a special session to address it in early December.
Doyle had asked the lawmakers to pass a reform package that included full public financing for state Supreme Court races.
The proposal also included a provision that would ban fundraising during the state budget process, which some finance reform advocates said prolonged legislative gridlock in the fall.
Beverly Speer, advocacy director for the watchdog group Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, said a reform bill would hopefully be given a public hearing in early February in the Senate Campaign Finance Reform, Rural Issues and Information Technology Committee.
Speer said WDC had been in contact with state Sen. Pat Kreitlow, D-Chippewa Falls, chair of the committee, and he was supportive of the reform bill.
State Sen. Michael Ellis, R-Neenah, and Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, authored Senate Bill 12, which the reform package is based on. Speer said their support would help move the bill through the Senate.
Speer said she was disappointed the governor had not been more enthusiastic in his support for campaign finance reform since calling the special session. Doyle did not mention campaign finance reform in his annual State of the State address Jan. 23.
Doyle spokesman Lee Sensenbrenner said Doyle is still in favor of the bill and he wants to see the Supreme Court races publicly financed.
The governor has been clear he supports this bill,"" Sensenbrenner said.
