Wisconsin Democracy Campaign's press releases and special reports cover issues central to our mission, including campaign fundraising, political corruption and more.
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June 22, 2015
A Catholic group says it’s concerned there are plans to use the proposed 2015-17 state budget to weaken state regulations on the rent-to-own industry, which has contributed nearly $12,000 since the beginning of 2010 to Republican legislators and the governor.
June 22, 2015
On April 30, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign published an article, “Scott Jensen Named First Influence Peddler of the Month.”
June 17, 2015
Real estate and construction interests, which have contributed about $1.9 million to legislators since January 2011, are backing a bill that would loosen lead paint inspection requirements in Wisconsin.
June 16, 2015
Legislative Republicans who are trying to determine how many hundreds of millions of dollars to borrow and spend on major highway projects in the next two years have accepted more than $540,000 since January 2011 from road building interests that benefit from state contracts.
June 15, 2015
No communities would be able to prohibit bow hunting in their jurisdictions under a plan inserted in the proposed 2015-17 state budget by Republicans who control the legislature.
June 12, 2015
The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign is urging Democratic Sen. Julie Lassa of Stevens Point to delay a June 18 fundraising event until after the proposed 2015-17 state budget is approved.
June 11, 2015
The nation’s most influential pro-gun group is the subject of tax and campaign finance complaints over its federal election spending.
June 10, 2015
Executives from five companies whose $5.6 million in state loans were forgiven by the Walker administration contributed nearly $18,000 to the governor’s campaign since January 2010.
June 9, 2015
A provision in the proposed 2015-17 state budget that would require local governments to use more of the room taxes they collect to promote tourism has support from tourism lodging interests, which have contributed about $34,000 in recent years to Republican lawmakers who control the legislature.
June 9, 2015
Madison - Three leading good government groups in Wisconsin today are condemning a proposed bill in the State Assembly that would do away with the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau and the bipartisan Joint Audit Committee.
June 5, 2015
Wealthy retirees and homemakers were Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s most generous contributors in 2014, giving more than $4.7 million of the nearly $22.2 million in large individual and political action committee contributions he accepted from special interest groups to fuel his reelection.
June 3, 2015
Business interests are backing a GOP bill that would protect wood stove manufacturers from tougher federal air pollution standards.
June 2, 2015
A new CBS News/New York Times poll shows that Americans across the board recognize that big money has contaminated our politics.
June 2, 2015
Republican Gov. Scott Walker has appointed two attorneys to circuit court judgeships who helped the Walker administration and legislative Republicans consolidate power. They defended laws that slashed public employee collective bargaining rights, redrew legislative districts that enabled Republicans to increase their control of the legislature, and require citizens to present a photo ID to vote.
May 28, 2015
A group of large insurance companies is backing the controversial changes to the state’s long-term care programs that GOP legislative leaders are proposing. The eight insurance companies in the group accounted for more than $149,000 in campaign contributions between January 2011 and Oct. 20, 2014, to Republican legislators.
May 27, 2015
A Milwaukee lawyer whose father leads a foundation that has poured millions of dollars into conservative causes nationwide has been appointed to the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents by Republican Gov. Scott Walker, a possible 2016 presidential candidate.
May 26, 2015
GOP lawmakers have inserted a plan in the proposed 2015-17 state budget that would increase timber-cutting on thousands of acres of state forests at the request of papermaking and logging interests.
May 21, 2015
Wisconsin high school students would be required to pass a civics test in order to receive a diploma under a plan added to the proposed 2015-17 state budget by Republican legislators. The proposal is being pushed by an out-of-state special interest group whose leader was an early supporter of voucher and charter schools.
May 20, 2015
Pro-school voucher interests, which have spent an estimated $4.3 million on outside electioneering activities to support Republican legislative candidates, have scored another legislative victory to increase spending and sharply expand the statewide program.
May 19, 2015
A Canadian oil distributor that is responsible for hundreds of spills since 1999 is among several companies that will get an environmental award this week from Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC). The Department of Natural Resources, which enforces environmental laws, helped choose the award recipients.
May 18, 2015
The owner of a financially struggling Milwaukee construction company who received a $500,000 state loan after contributing $10,000 to Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s 2010 campaign, has contributed $24,500 to candidates for statewide office and the legislature since 2005.
Posted: May 14, 2015
Updated: May 18, 2015
Two prominent political figures, one a Democrat and the other a Republican, decried the poisonous effects of money in our political system last night.
May 14, 2015
Road builders, who have contributed more than $403,000 to current legislators over the past four years, are backing a legislative proposal that would allow counties and municipalities to create a new sales tax to pay for local street maintenance and repairs, a plan one critic calls buck-passing.
May 13, 2015
Tavern interests have thrown their support behind Republican legislative proposals that would prohibit communities from banning electronic cigarettes and other vapor smoking products in public places, like bars and restaurants.
May 12, 2015
A Republican lawmaker who runs a small business is sponsoring a proposal that would require the state to give small businesses a pass the first time an audit finds that they underpaid their taxes, and charge a lower interest rate on money owed to the state that is revealed in later audits.