Senate rejects bill to overhaul WI campaign finance system

Senate rejects bill to overhaul WI campaign finance system

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The state Senate rejected legislation Wednesday that would have overhauled Wisconsin's campaign finance laws by creating a new method to give public grants to candidates and banning fund-raising while lawmakers work on the state budget.

Sen. Mike Ellis, R-Neenah, has worked for the past eight years to bring the legislation to a vote before the full Senate. He touted it as a vast improvement over the current system, which he said has corrupted lawmakers by making them beholden to special interests.

But the Senate rejected the legislation 20-13 along bipartisan lines, with some critics saying the bill did not do nearly enough to clean up the influence of special interest money in Wisconsin politics.

The legislation would have increased the spending limits for state races ranging from the state Assembly to the governor's office. It would have created a new mechanism to fund public grants to campaigns as well as new regulations that would have given public money to candidates who are subject to a barrage of ads by interest groups.

http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/index.php?ntid=32414&ntpid=0

of course they did...

RL

wisconsin electoral system.They have no reason to hide their contempt for us.They just have to play the morals card and get reelected by the idiots in this state.They show they have no fear of losing.Have we really become this inept?

Anyone know if any Dems voted against this?