December 10, 2003    (Back to Job Creation Act)

(Green Bay, WI)  Today, the Clean Water Action Council asked the Wisconsin Attorney General to investigate the drafting process used by certain legislators for the Jobs Creation Act of 2003 (SB313 and AB655).  In particular, the group asserted that the process may have violated Wisconsin’s open meeting law, because the legislative sponsors held the drafting material “confidential” while allowing special interests direct and early access for writing and reviewing drafts. 

The 2003 Drafting Request by Senator Cathy Stepp to the Legislative Reference Bureau requested that the drafting file not be shown to any legislator.   The material was kept secret from the public as well.

At the same time, lobbyists with several special interest groups were directly involved with drafting the bill.  For example, written correspondence includes an e-mail from Richard Chandler, a registered lobbyist representing the Wisconsin Realtors Association, submitting additional language to the Legislative Reference Bureau for SB313, with e-mail copies sent to Thomas Larson and Michael Theo, lobbyists for the Wisconsin Realtors Association, and to Gerald Deschane and Michael Semmann, lobbyists for the Wisconsin Builders Association.

Senator Stepp directed that the contents of the Act be kept secret, yet special interests with whom she is personally and financially associated were allowed to submit language and review drafts. Senator Stepp owns First Stepp Builders, a construction firm in Racine, and has served many years on the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Builders Association and related associations who will benefit from the Act.  (see First Stepp Builders' website)

“We are disturbed that Senator Stepp allowed her own association, the Wisconsin Builders Association, to draft the legislation, and kept the information secret until the actual release date for the Act. This certainly appears to be collusion,” stated Rebecca Katers, Executive Director of Clean Water Action Council.  “Our citizen group, which is far distant from Madison, was caught off guard by the release of this complicated legislation.  No ordinary citizen can read 114 pages of legalese and understand it in less than 24 hours, if they even know where to get a copy.   No citizen organization like ours can meet, discuss and agree on our response in less than 24 hours.  We were also unable to attend the initial hearing in Madison on the one-day notice given, because it would have required an entire day (when travel time is included.)  Wisconsin citizens require much more advance notice of pending legislation and hearings.”

At the same time, the special interests who had inside access to the drafts were well prepared with an aggressive media campaign and a host of arranged testimony. 

“This sort of legislative and public manipulation must not be allowed.   It makes a travesty of Wisconsin’s legislative process,” concluded Katers.

For more information call Clean Water Action Council, at (920) 437-7304 work, or (920) 468-4243 home

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