Milwaukee State Senator Wants
Campaign Finance Reform Now!
Madison (Oct, 18, 2005) — State Senator Tim Carpenter (D--Milwaukee) called today for the Governor and the Leadership of the Senate and the Assembly to call the Legislature into either Special or Extraordinary Session next week to address campaign finance reform. “A poll published this week by the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute showed that only 6% of Wisconsinites think their elected officials represented their constituent’s best interests, and that a vast majority of the citizens in our state think that such elected officials are more concerned with themselves and special interests,” Carpenter stated.
“The results of this poll should embarrass every elected official in Wisconsin,” Carpenter said. “Restoring public trust and confidence in our state government should have been our first priority in this session, and a great opportunity exists for both the Governor and the Leadership of the legislature to put aside partisanship and take this issue up to ensure fundamental change in the way state government operates,” said Carpenter.
“It is clear that the people want action,” asserted Carpenter. “The time for action is now.” Carpenter also stated that the best place to start reform would be the adoption of Assembly Bill 226, a comprehensive campaign finance reform bill that recently had a hearing in the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections. Assembly Bill 226 was principally authored by campaign finance reform advocates Senators Mike Ellis and Fred Risser, and Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Stephen Freese.
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