Reform advocates say Governor Jim Doyle should push hard, to clean up state government. Doyle was asked recently about his plans for campaign finance and ethics reform. "We're going to be ready to go in January, with good ethics reform and campaign reform legislation," said Doyle.
Mike McCabe with the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign noted that Assembly Republicans who lost their seats in last weeks elections all had something in common: they voted against comprehensive ethics reform that had passed the state Senate. "That ought to tell the governor that it's time to really show some leadership," he said. "To use the governor's bully pulpit to demand reform loud and clear." Jay Heck with Common Cause in Wisconsin said Doyle and legislative leaders need to tackle reform right away, if it's going to get done. "Those are the types of things you need to take up very early in the legislative session," said Heck. "The closer you move to the next election, the more difficult it becomes to reform the system."
Heck said Doyle has yet to state that reform is a top priority, and McCabe said "you can never underestimate the resistance to reform" among leaders at the Capital.