Attack on GAB officially begins

The board that oversees elections and ethics in Wisconsin has been hailed as a national model. Wisconsin’s Government Accountability Board has proven to be effective. It is comprised of non-partisan retired judges, overseeing elections, and investigating allegations of wrongdoing by legislators. But some partisan hacks in our legislature want this now independent and non-partisan board to also be comprised of partisan hacks. They have now introduced their bill which would eviscerate the GAB in favor of their political appointees. This is not good for Wisconsin. In fact, the legislation is modeled after the Federal Elections Commission in Washington, perhaps the most ineffective federal agency, which its own chairman has called “worse than dysfunctional.” Under this plan, one of the most critical provisions of the GAB would be gone…the power to investigate lawmaker’s alleged bad behavior. Instead, the funding for such investigations would be subject to the approval of the legislature, including those legislators who are the targets of the investigation. Keep in mind, the GAB, which has served the state well, was created on the heels of the 2002 legislative scandal that forced several lawmakers out of office. We certainly don’t want to return to those days when lawmakers mis-steps went undetected, but that is exactly what will happen if this legislation is allowed to become law.