Conservatively Speaking
State Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents parts of four counties: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, and Walworth. Her Senate District 28 includes New Berlin, Franklin, Greendale, Hales Corners, Muskego, Waterford, Big Bend and parts of Greenfield, East Troy, and Mukwonago. Senator Lazich has been in the Legislature for more than a decade. She considers herself a tireless crusader for lower taxes, reduced spending and smaller government.
Governor calls special session on the wrong issue
By Mary Lazich
Friday, Nov 30 2007, 04:23 PM
Gov. Jim Doyle has called a special session of the Legislature for December 11 at 11 a.m. to take action on campaign finance reform.
The Governor’s office says the legislation would "modernize Wisconsin’s public financing system by increasing candidates’ spending limits and maximum public grant amounts, ban fundraising during the budget process, and establish a separate fully-funded campaign finance system for Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates."
The call for a special session on campaign finance reform comes just a few days after the Legislative Audit Bureau in its latest audit strongly recommended that municipal clerks obtain the birth dates from all voters during future elections and consider methods to collect this information more easily.
It is clear to me that the easiest and best way to get the birth dates of all voters is to require a photo ID in the form of a driver’s license or state-issued ID.
The best campaign finance reform is assuring that honest voters each get one equally weighted vote. The most effective means to achieve that goal is with a photo ID requirement.
Wisconsinites overwhelmingly support a photo ID requirement to vote. A statewide poll of 500 likely voters in March 2001 by Wood Communications of Madison found 65% thought all voters should have to show photo identification before casting ballots. Support was even greater, 71% to 22%, in the 10-county area of southeastern Wisconsin.
About 81% of those considering themselves Republicans supported the requirement, and over half of Democrats, 55% backed it. About 75% of those surveyed between 35 and 44 years old endorsed a photo ID requirement, 57% of those between 55 and 64 years old supported it.
Allowing candidates to spend more money isn’t the answer, nor is increasing tax collections for public funding of candidates the key to bringing back credibility to Wisconsin’s once squeaky clean elections.Many voters view public campaign financing as welfare for politicians, and do not support increasing taxes for campaign spending. A photo ID requirement is one of the best remedies to fix a voting system in desperate need of repair.The voting public would strongly welcome a legislative compromise on photo ID. Photo ID is definitely the issue a special session should be called to address.
