GAB, campaign finance overhauls approved by Wisconsin Senate

Sheila Harsdorf of River Falls, Jerry Petrowski of Marathon, Robert Cowles of Green Bay and Howard Marklein of Spring Green. Once they pass as expected on Friday, they will then go to Gov. Scott Walker for his consideration. Amendments spelling out changes to the bills had not been made public, a sign that negotiations were fluid.

The Assembly passed the bill last month.

Rounds says Democrats prefer one large appropriations bill instead twelve spending bills as required by law. "We're going backwards and our democracy is at risk".

"This compromise still accomplishes what we set out to do from the start by creating a bipartisan watchdog", said the bill's main sponsor, Republican Sen.

In the campaign finance bill, Sen. The measure bogged down, though, after Senate Republicans questioned whether to retain employer disclosure on a few level.

It would also do away with the requirement that donors divulge their employer. Nass said GOP senators are considering raising that threshold to $200 a year. They didn't restore the employer disclosure requirements. "Everybody looks half-tired and beat and we're doing legislation that will ultimately be the death of clean, open, fair government in Wisconsin".

"This entire process stinks", Rothschild said. They spent Wednesday and Thursday in more meetings on the bills.

The bill doing away with the nonpartisan Government Accountability Board originally called for creating separate ethics and elections commissions with an equal number of Republican and Democratic appointees.

The GAB is led by six judges and oversees elections and ethics laws.

Also, the Senate narrowly approved overhauling Wisconsin's campaign finance laws.

Wisconsin Republicans pushed the new bill after what they called a political witch-hunt when the board played a role in the investigation of Governor Scott Walker's original campaign for governor. The state Supreme Court halted the probe this summer; Republicans say the investigation was a political witch-hunt.

Minority Democrats began the proceedings by lambasting the campaign fiance changes, accusing Republicans of caring more about protecting themselves in next year's elections than dealing with real issues affecting the state such as student debt and job losses. The also said that there was little support for the bill among voters. But they spent all day Friday working on revisions. The bill as it passed the Assembly would double contribution limits that candidates can accept, make clear in state law that candidates and issue advocacy groups can work closely together, and allow for unlimited corporate and union donations to political parties and legislative campaign committees.