What's in a name? Ask the Wisconsin Ethics Commission
(AP) — Members of the newly created commission to regulate ethics and campaign finance laws for Wisconsin office holders and lobbyists continued their organizational work Thursday with the simplest of tasks: deciding on a name.
The Legislature, along with Gov. Scott Walker, tired of the nonpartisan GAB's work, specifically its involvement in an investigation into Walker and conservative groups that was deemed unconstitutional last year by the state Supreme Court.
Democrats and government watchdog groups fought against the changes, saying the evenly divided membership will be ineffective and result in nothing but stalemates, similar to the Federal Elections Commission.
The partisan divide of the new Ethics Commission was evident Thursday, with the two Republican appointees — former Assembly Majority Leader Pat Strachota and Wisconsin Republican Party Secretary Katie McCallum — sitting at one table and the two Democrats at another.
A sign of the pressure it faces came at the meeting with a request from attorney Mike Wittenwyler, who represents groups and individuals on issues related to Wisconsin's campaign finance, election law, ethics and lobbying regulation.