Assembly tables caucus proposal
2:06 PM 6/30/01
Scott Milfred State government reporter
The state Assembly beat back an attempt to eliminate the taxpayer-funded legislative caucus system Friday night.
"You might have the votes today," said Rep. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, "but the pressure is going to mount for change."
Carpenter and 25 other Democrats voted to take up a budget amendment that would have yanked $4 million a year in funding from the caucus system, which is being investigated by the state Elections Board and the Dane County district attorney's office.
Republicans, who control the house 56-43, unanimously voted to table, or indefinitely delay, the proposal. Seventeen Democrats joined the Republicans in a 73-26 vote that will keep open the caucus offices - one each for the Democrats and Republicans in both the Assembly and Senate.
"What's going on is wrong, and there isn't one of us who doesn't know it," said Rep. Marty Reynolds, D-Ladysmith, who led the push to end the caucus system. "You want to cut fat out the budget, here's ($4 million). You want smaller government, here it is."
A Wisconsin State Journal investigation last month found that the caucus offices operate as secret campaign machines, raising money, producing brochures and maintaining lists of potential voters for the leaders' hand-picked candidates. Such activity could amount to illegal campaign contributions and other violations of law.
"This is a bomb, folks," Reynolds said on the Assembly floor at the Capitol. "This is one that's going to go off, and it's going to go off so that it blows the top off this building."
Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, R-Waukesha, urged members to reject Reynolds' proposal. Jensen noted that Assembly Chief Clerk John Scocos is conducting a "serious review" of the caucus system and will recommend "major changes" by the end of July.
"We want a comprehensive change in the way we administer things here," Jensen said.
But he worried about the more than 30 caucus staffers, who would lose jobs if Reynolds proposal was signed into law.
Rep. Mike Powers, R-Albany, called Reynolds' proposal "a good idea and should be done in a non-partisan manner."
But he ended up voting to table Reynolds' amendment.
"It will come up again," Powers said, "and I will be looking for support for what I feel are necessary changes."