Senate cancels Tuesday session as deal remains elusive

Listen to this article

MADISON, Wis. — The state Senate delayed action Monday on bills that would dissolve Wisconsin’s unique nonpartisan elections board and overhaul the state’s campaign finance law to allow candidates to work closely with shadowy issue advocacy groups.

Both bills passed the Assembly last month, and Republican Senate leaders were trying to reach a deal to vote on them as early as Tuesday. But just as he did last week, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald on Monday canceled the session day and instead organized a private meeting of Republican senators to try and work out their differences.

One bill would replace the Government Accountability Board, which is headed by six former judges, with two commissions of an equal number of Republican and Democratic appointees. One commission would focus on elections, while the other would deal with campaign finance, ethics and lobbying laws.

Some Republican senators have expressed reservations about doing away completely with judges on commissions, as well as splitting the board into two entities similar to the widely criticized format that predated the GAB.

Supporters say the current board is nonpartisan in name only, while opponents say the new partisan-appointed commissions would forever deadlock 3-3 and not be able to adequately enforce the law or launch investigations.

Republican senators are also seeking unspecified changes to the other bill overhauling Wisconsin’s campaign finance law.

In the version passed by the Assembly, the bill would legalize for the first time in state law that candidates could coordinate with issue advocacy groups that don’t disclose their donors. The Wisconsin Supreme Court in July ruled such coordination was legal, ending an investigation into Gov. Scott Walker and conservative groups he worked closely with.

The bill would also double how much individuals could give to candidates, do away with the requirement that donors disclose where they work and allow unlimited corporate and union contributions to political parties and campaign committees controlled by legislative leaders.

Opponents say that will increase the power of special interests and weaken public disclosure about who is paying for elections. Republican supporters say the goal is protecting free-speech rights of those who want to spend money on elections and the changes are needed to update the state’s 40-year-old election law in the wake of several adverse state and federal court rulings.

Republicans control the Senate 19-14, meaning they can only lose two votes and still have enough to pass either bill. Complicating matters this week, one Republican — Sen. Roger Roth — is on Air National Guard duty and not available to vote.

That means no more than one Republican can be against the bill and still have enough votes to pass it.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald spokeswoman Myranda Tanck said Monday it is still possible the Senate will meet later this week. Fitzgerald last week also canceled a planned session day so Republicans could meet privately to discuss the bills, but that resulted in no deals.

Advocacy groups fighting the proposals have been urging their backers to contact six Republican senators who have been identified as having issues with one or both of the bills. None of those senators returned messages seeking comment Monday.