The governor hopes to jump start the budget talks with a special session of the legislature. Will it work?
Common Cause Wisconsin's Jay Heck says calling a special session sounds like another political gimmick to him but if it works fine. He's just not holding his breath.
Heck says the two sides have known for months where each other stands. They just haven't worked hard enough to get a budget done.
To his mind, all they're doing now is trying to make the other side look bad so they can attack them during the next election campaign.
The Governor hopes more moderate lawmakers will vote their conscience rather than the caucus but Heck says that's difficult to do these days because there's too much power in the hands of legislative leaders.
The leaders control legislative campaign committee money which Heck says they dole out to loyal members of their party caucus. And that, Heck says, keeps rank and file lawmakers toeing the party line rather than speaking their minds on budget matters.
