$1 in $4 in Labor PAC Contributions to Legislators Went to GOP Lawmakers

March 18, 2015

The legislative proposal was proposed and approved with lightning speed in late February and early March on a near party-line vote. The controversial new law, which makes it illegal to require workers to make payments to unions as a condition of employment, was signed into law a few days later by GOP Gov. Scott Walker, a prospective 2016 presidential candidate, who received more than $71,000 from labor PACs in 2014.

The right-to-work measure was strongly opposed by most of the construction and trade unions that were top labor PAC contributors to legislative Republicans only months earlier. Topping the list of labor PAC contributions to Republican lawmakers in 2014 was the Operating Engineers Local 139, which represents construction equipment operators, at $28,550, and the Wisconsin State Council of Carpenters at $24,750 (see Table below).

Labor PAC contributions to all current legislators totaled more than $373,000 in 2014, including $106,500, or 29 percent, to Republican lawmakers. Topping the list of GOP legislators who received labor PAC contributions in 2014 were Rep. Dale Kooyenga, of Brookfield, $4,000; Rep. Al Ott, of Forest Junction, and Sen. Roger Roth, of Appleton, $3,250 each; and Sen. Jerry Petrowski, of Marathon, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, of Burlington, $3,000 each.

Petrowski was the only Republican in the legislature to vote against the right-to-work bill.

PAC Contributions to Current Republican Legislators
Jan. 1, 2014 – Dec. 31, 2014