In an appearance before the board of Common Cause in Wisconsin that was occasionally heated, the incoming Speaker of the State Assembly said ethics reform legislation is possible…but he doesn't expect much progress with campaign finance reform.
Assembly Speaker-elect Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem) says ethics reform legislation is in the works at the Capitol, and it will likely include many proposals rejected in the last session. He says there's a real possibility of merging the state ethics and elections boards, along with other key reforms lawmakers pushed for recently.
Huebsch appeared Tuesday before the board of Common Cause in Wisconsin. While speaking to members, he was less optimistic about changing how campaigns are funded. Huebsch says it's difficult to limit how much people can spend and raise in campaigns. He's in favor of requiring more disclosure of funding sources, such as increasing how often candidates must file reports with the state.
Huebsch also rejected a proposal backed by Common Cause to publicly finance campaigns, arguing that you can not tax the people of the state to fund campaigns. He says voters would likely reject any such proposal. Huebsch also seemed doubtful about the possibility of "leveling the playing field" for new candidates going up against established incumbents in legislative races.