04/25/2006 The Only Response

Three Dane County legislators have identified the only appropriateresponse to the failure of Republican leaders to schedule Senate Bill 1, thebipartisan ethics reform bill, for consideration by the Assembly.

Democratic state Reps. Mark Pocan and Joe Parisi of Madison and SondyPope-Roberts of Verona have informed Assembly Speaker John Gard that they willlaunch a filibuster during the remaining days of the legislative session. Theywant to force action on the one piece of legislation that could address theethics crisis confirmed by the recent convictions of former Assembly SpeakerScott Jensen, former Majority Leader Steve Foti and other legislative leaders.Pocan, Parisi and Pope-Roberts are right to suggest that there is noalternative. The legislative session is expected to end next week, after whichGard, R-Peshtigo, will be busy running for the Republican nomination forCongress in northeast Wisconsin, while his allies, such as Majority LeaderMike Huebsch, R-West Salem, will be maneuvering to replace the outgoingspeaker.

Pocan is exactly right when he says that this is the "if not now, when; ifnot us, who?" moment for a Legislature that has lost the confidence of thepeople of Wisconsin.

"In a year of unparalleled legal action surrounding legislators and theirethics, we must as a body address ethics reform," Pocan said. "If theRepublican leadership refuses to allow the full Assembly to vote on meaningfulreform, we will do everything in our power to force a vote on SB1. If thatmeans filibustering on the final day of the session next week, we will fightas long as it takes to pass ethics reform in Wisconsin. The Republicans willnot be allowed to kill this bill."

Gard, Huebsch and their apologists in the Legislature and in theconservative media will suggest that Pocan, Parisi and Pope-Roberts arestalling important legislation with a filibuster. But Wisconsinites shoulddismiss the cheap political spin of those who seek to preserve a system thathas been corrupted and that will be corrupted again.

We're with Pope-Roberts when she says, "I refuse to sit around passinglegislation that benefits the special interests while ignoring the public'sinterest."

The filibuster does not create a crisis. Only the refusal of legislativeleaders to respond to the call from Pocan, Parisi and Pope-Roberts for actionwould be a crisis. The ethics legislation is supported by honest players inboth parties as well as most Wisconsinites. It was sponsored by a Republican,state Sen. Mike Ellis of Neenah, was passed by a 28-5 vote in aRepublican-controlled Senate, and will be signed Gov. Jim Doyle once theAssembly logjam is broken.

Once the ethics reform bill is scheduled for debate and a vote in theAssembly -- a move that should ensure its passage, as Gard and Huebsch willhave a hard time holding rank-and-file Republicans in line when theirconstituents are demanding reform -- the chamber can address any other issueof concern. Indeed, the Assembly could finally get serious about all thematters -- particularly economic concerns -- that it has neglected during twoyears of debates about same-sex marriage, concealed-carry and gimmicks to takeaway the ability of local government to collect revenues and provide services.

No legislation will be taken off the table by a filibuster. The intentionof Pocan, Parisi and Pope-Roberts is to place an important piece oflegislation on the table. As Parisi says, "Ethics reform cannot wait foranother scandal or another legislative session. The time is now for the stateAssembly to act on this bill, without further delaying tactics from theRepublican leadership. If that means we have to make the Legislature work dayand night to do the public's business, then so be it."

That is what legislators are elected to do. We applaud Pocan, Parisi andPope-Roberts for taking the only appropriate action in the circumstance, andwe strongly encourage Assembly Democrats and Republicans to back the filibuster.