One of the first speakers was the author of the bill that would overhaul the board, Republican state Sen.
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Vukmir introduced the legislation that would replace the GAB with separate ethics and elections agencies run by partisan appointees.
Republicans are calling to dissolve the Government Accountability Board, which was put in place by lawmakers in 2007. “Rather than be a national model, Wisconsin’s failed experiment has become a national embarrassment”. At the time, she said it sounded good to have nonpartisan judges oversee the state’s ethics and elections decisions. They are particularly upset with its role in a now-closed investigation into Gov. Scott Walker’s recall campaign and the activity of conservative groups.
“That’s right. Mickey Mouse from Disney World in the eyes of the GAB is a valid voter in Wisconsin”, said Sen. It came during the testimony agency director Kevin Kennedy when a GOP lawmaker brought up the election chief’s relationship with a controversial IRS official.
“Seriously?” Kennedy said. “Have you no decency?” “I can tell you Senator, that those smoke and mirrors aren’t changing under this legislation”, Kennedy responded.
Capitol Bureau Chief will be at the hearing. “The reasons given for doing away with the GAB are based on inaccurate, incomplete and in many cases completely false assertions by the proponents of this legislation”, Kennedy says.
“Sometimes you have to look at what you do, and realize we can fix it and make it better”, she said.
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Majority Republicans in the Legislature are pushing for the changes. “You want to go back to a toothless agency?” said Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa, D-Milwaukee.
