Coalition Urges Senate to Reject AB225, ‘More Big Money in Politics’ Bill

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Bill Would Double Contribution Limits to Wisconsin Political Campaigns

WISPIRG

Madison, WI¬¬— A broad statewide coalition of citizen and public interest organizations are calling on the state Senate to reject AB225, a bill that would double contributions limits to Wisconsin political campaigns and allow big money to further drown out the voices of Wisconsin voters. 

“This bill embraces big money donors drowning our political process with more big money contributions,” said Bruce Speight, WISPIRG Director.  “Our democracy should be of, by and for the people – not of, by and for big money donors.” 

Fifteen statewide and community organizations have signed onto the letter to state Senators, urging them to oppose AB225.  The organizations include WISPIRG, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Midwest Environmental Advocates, United Wisconsin, Progressive Dane, Menomonie Move to Amend, Move To Amend Rock River (Jefferson and Walworth County), South Central Move to Amend, Madison Area Urban Ministry, Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups, People for the American Way, Door County Environmental Council, Wisconsin Business Alliance, Reedsburg Area Concerned Citizens, and Southwest Wisconsin Area Progressives.

The bill, AB225, as amended and passed by the state Assembly, would increase individual contribution limits for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Attorney General, State Superintendent, and Supreme Court Justice from $10,000 to $20,000; for State Senator from $1,000 to $2,000; and for State Representative from $500 to $1,000.  Some have lauded this bill because it contains a provision to implement an online registration system, but this provision comes nowhere close to making this bill worth passing. 

“This bill couldn’t be more out of touch with what the people want – citizens of every political stripe believe money is playing too great a role in our elections.  Yet, this bill takes the position that there is not enough money in politics and even larger contributions are needed,” said Mike McCabe, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

In 2010 the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision unleashed a new era of unprecedented spending on our elections.  Election spending in Wisconsin has tripled since the Citizens United decision. Increasing contribution limits will only worsen this problem. 

Already, wealthy contributors and big money contributions are increasingly drowning out the voices of average voters.  Just 32 billionaires and corporations giving an average of $9.9 million apiece matched the money 3.7 million small donors gave to the Romney and Obama campaigns combined for the 2012 presidential election.  If money equals speech as the U.S. Supreme Court currently believes, then those 32 megadonors spoke with more than 115,000 times the volume of the millions of small donors.

In July, the Money Out, Voters In coalition, comprising 32 organizations committed to the principle of “one person, one vote” joined with 35 bi-partisan state legislators to introduce Assembly Joint Resolution 50 (AJR 50), which would allow the voters of Wisconsin to have their say on whether Wisconsin elected leaders should support a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United. 
“Before allowing more big money in politics, state legislators should support Assembly Joint Resolution 50 and let the people of Wisconsin decide through statewide referendum whether that is the democracy that ‘we the people’ want,” concluded Speight. 

The signers of the letter strongly encourage state leaders to endorse measures that protect our democracy by empowering the average citizen, while reducing the corrosive influence of big money, including Republican U.S. Representative Tom Petri’s proposal to reinstate a $50 federal tax credit for campaign contributions, a program that would boost public participation in the campaign finance process; the use of matching public funds to encourage state level candidates to depend on small donations from their constituents and not wealthy out-of-state interests; and lowering the donation limit to $100, a level that all citizens—not just the wealthy few—can realistically afford.

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WISPIRG is a statewide non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organization. With public debate around important issues often dominated by special interests pursuing their own narrow agendas, WISPIRG offers an independent voice that works on behalf of the public interest. The WISPIRG works to protect consumers and promote good government. We investigate problems, craft solutions, educate the public, and offer citizens meaningful opportunities for civic participation.  www.wispirg.org.

The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political watchdog group dedicated to clean government. We advocate for a real democracy that allows the common good to prevail over narrow interests by reinforcing and protecting the values of honesty, fairness, transparency, accountability, citizen participation, competition, and respect for constitutional rights and the rule of law.