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Capitol Notes
WI: Weekly Political and Legislative Update |
TO: Clients/Friends of Capitol Consultants, Inc./Wimmer & Company, S.C.
FROM: Capitol Consultants, Inc.
& Wimmer Company, S.C.
DATE: September 23, 2011
SUBJECT: Weekly Legislative and Political Update
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Recall Spending Exceeds $44 Million
Final numbers are out this week from the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign (WDC) that show more than $44 million was spent this past summer on the nine State Senate recall elections.
The $44 million is two times more than the record amount spent on legislative races in any past election year and $7 million more than the $37 million that was spent in last year's governor's race. Moreover, the final amount from this year's recalls is twice as much as the $20 million that was spent in 2008 for the all of the 117 legislative races that fall.
The WDC report also said that Democrats, who were seeking to take over the state Senate, outspent Republicans $23.4 million to $20.5 million. Also, outside groups accounted for $34.5 million of the money spent overall, while candidates dropped just short of $8 million, the WDC estimated. That includes $4.04 million by Republican candidates and $3.95 million by Democrats (www.wispolitics.com).
Among the outside groups, the Democratic-leaning group We Are Wisconsin was the biggest spender at $10.75 million with the pro-Republican Club for Growth spending $9 million.
To view the WDC report click: http://www.wisdc.org/pr092011.php
Lastly, the Government Accountability Board (GAB) estimates that the recall elections cost the state and local governments more $2 million this summer to administer the elections.
To view the GAB letter detailing the costs, click:
http://wispolitics.com index.Iml?Article=247865
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Mining Committee Members Named
This week Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald appointed GOP members to the Senate Select Committee on Mining Jobs. The Republican Leader created the committee because it is expected that the rewriting of the state's mining laws could be a big issue in the October legislative floor period.
Fitzgerald appointed Senator Neal Kedzie (R-Elkhorn) as chair of the Senate Select Committee along with other Republicans Senators Robert Cowles of Green Bay, Dale Schultz of Richland Center and Rich Zipperer of Pewaukee.
According to Fitzgerald's office, the committee is charged with crafting legislation to revise the state's mining laws, which his office says will serve as key for helping Gogebic Taconite move forward with plans for an iron ore mine in Ashland and Iron counties (www.wispolitics.com).
"If we're serious about job creation, we owe it to our state to take a look at different and new ways to create jobs. Mining has the potential to create good-paying, multi-generational jobs in a part of the state that desperately needs it, so I expect these senators to take a serious look at the issue," Fitzgerald said in announcing the members to the committee.
Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D-Monona) has not made any appointments to the committee because, according to his office, he is waiting to see how many seats the minority Democrats will be given on the committee.
To view the Fitzgerald's release announcing the Senate Select Committee on Mining Jobs, click: http://wispolitics.com/index.Iml?Article=248040
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2012 Election Happenings
This week saw former Governor Tommy Thompson take even more steps toward his expected announcement for the open U.S. Senate seat, which is being vacated by popular, four-term U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (D-Milwaukee).
Thompson, who is the state's long-serving Governor, formally announced on Monday the hiring of his campaign manager and rolled out the campaign website for his expected run for the Republican nomination. He also filed incorporation papers for the race and according to his campaign consultant, Darrin Schmitz, Thompson is expected to announce his candidacy in the very near future (www.wispolitics.com).
The former Governor also announced the hiring of Ryan Burchfield as campaign manager for the expected high profile race. Burchfield previously led freshman U.S. Rep. Todd Young's 2010 win in a southern Indiana district over incumbent Democratic Congressman Baron Hill. He has also served as the RNC's deputy victory director and voter registration director for the Nevada Republican Party.
In the announcement earlier this week, the Thompson for U.S. Senate campaign released its website, which includes a two-minute video that touts Thompson as the "original reformer" and promises he "won't stop until he stops Washington."
To view the Thompson campaign manager announcement, click:
http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/110919thompson.pdf
To view the campaign website, click: http://tommyforwisconsin.com/ Other candidates in the U.S. Senate race for the Republicans include former Congressman Mark Neumann (R-Nashotah), who announced his candidacy several weeks ago, and Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon) who is also expected to announce his candidacy soon. Tammy Baldwin is the only Democrat so far who has announced for the open seat.
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The Week Ahead
| Sep 27 Tue | Urban and Local Affairs (Assembly)
10:00 AM
300 Northeast | Items: Assembly Bill 219; Assembly Joint Resolution 41; LRB 2150 | Public Hearing |
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| Sep 27 Tue | Economic Development and Veterans and Military Affairs (Senate) (Executive Session)
10:00 AM
400 Southeast | Items: Assembly Bill 60; Senate Bill 84 | Executive Session |
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| Sep 27 Tue | Agriculture, Forestry, and Higher Education (Senate)
10:00 AM
201 Southeast | Items: Sherven, Troy; Pointer, Katherine; Schall, Sheldon; Senate Bill 184 | Public Hearing |
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| Sep 27 Tue | Economic Development and Veterans and Military Affairs (Senate)
10:05 AM or upon conclusion of executive session
400 Southeast | Items: Senate Bill 31; Senate Bill 60; Assembly Bill 211 | Public Hearing |
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| Sep 27 Tue | Transportation (Assembly)
2:00 PM
417 North (GAR Hall) | Items: Assembly Bill 265; Assembly Bill 267; Assembly Bill 270; Assembly Bill 274 | Public Hearing |
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| Sep 27 Tue | Transportation (Assembly) (Executive Session)
2:01 PM
417 North (GAR Hall) | Items: Assembly Bill 248; Assembly Bill 252; Assembly Bill 253; Assembly Bill 254; Assembly Bill 206 | Executive Session |
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| Sep 28 Wed | Labor and Workforce Development (Assembly)
9:30 AM
412 East | Items: Unemployment Reserve Fund Audit | Public Hearing |
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| Sep 28 Wed | Natural Resources (Assembly)
9:30 AM
417 North (GAR Hall) | Items: Clearinghouse Rule 11-030; Clearinghouse Rule 11-031; Clearinghouse Rule 11-032; Assembly Bill 231; Assembly Bill 234 | Public Hearing |
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| Sep 28 Wed | Labor, Public Safety, and Urban Affairs (Senate)
9:30 AM
412 East | Items: Legislative Audit Bureau Report 11-8 - Unemployment Reserve Fund | Public Hearing |
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| Sep 28 Wed | Transportation and Elections (Senate)
1:00 PM
400 Southeast | Items: Senate Bill 197; Senate Bill 194; Senate Bill 195; Assembly Bill 81 | Public Hearing |
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| Sep 28 Wed | Transportation and Elections (Senate) (Executive Session)
1:05 PM
400 Southeast | Items: Plale, Jeff; Senate Bill 96; Senate Bill 190; Assembly Bill 64 | Executive Session |
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| Sep 29 Thu | Labor, Public Safety, and Urban Affairs (Senate)
9:30 AM
330 Southwest | Items: Nagle, Kathleen; Senate Bill 88; Senate Bill 153; Senate Bill 177 | Public Hearing |
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| Sep 29 Thu | Colleges and Universities (Assembly) (Executive Session)
10:00 AM
225 Northwest | Items: Assembly Bill 144; Assembly Bill 142; Assembly Bill 39; Senate Bill 28 | Executive Session |
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| Sep 29 Thu | Judiciary and Ethics (Assembly)
11:00 AM
400 Northeast | Items: Assembly Bill 223; Assembly Bill 235 | Public Hearing |
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| Sep 29 Thu | Judiciary and Ethics (Assembly) (Executive Session)
11:01 AM or immidiatly upon conclution of the public hearing
400 Northeast | Items: Assembly Joint Resolution 26; Assembly Bill 69 | Executive Session |
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