11-19-15 gab-react

Republican lawmakers say the Government Accountability  Board was a failed experiment,  supporters of the GAB say dissolving the board opens the state to political corruption.  The state Assembly this week passed a bill to replace the GAB with two new commissions with partisan appointees. The assembly also passed a bill doubling campaign contribution limits and allowing candidates to coordinate with special interest groups.  Oshkosh Republican state representative Michael Schraa says he believes the new system will work better.  “I think in both cases I believe that these are good bills,”  Schraa said.  “…there are going to be two commissions now with six members each.  Democrats and Republicans are going to have an equal number of appointments on each commission.”  Common Cause in Wisconsin director Jay Heck worked with then Senate Republican leader Mike Eillis in forming the GAB following the legislative caucus scandal nearly a decade ago.  Heck says after the scandal legislators wanted to get away from the partisan approach.  “Republican state senator Mike Ellis, Scott Fitgerald, Republicans unanimously supported the establishment of the Government Accountability Board as a nonpartisan entity,”  Heck said.    Heck and Shraa made the comments on AM 1170 WFDL’s Between the Lines program.