You all remember Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker: Failed presidential candidate, employee of the month for Koch Industries, and an all-around awful guy. Well, he is still governor of Wisconsin, even with our best efforts to get rid of this leech on society. (Seriously—he hates government but has received a government paycheck for most of his adult life). No doubt some of you out there will say the usual things: Wisconsin deserves it, you elected him three times, etc. You are dead wrong. No state deserves what this corporate sellout has done.
Recently, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign compiled a list of the 100 worst bills passed into law in Wisconsin during Walker’s tenure. Many of these bills were passed in the dead of night when no one was watching. While the WDC has compiled a list of 100 bills, this article focus on the worst of the worst.
Buckle up.
Buried in 2011’s Act 32, also known as the 2011-13 Biennial Budget Act, is a section on payday loans. Payday lenders prey on the most vulnerable element of society: the poor. A governor and legislature that cares about the most vulnerable would have enacted legislation to restrict payday lenders and to protect the poor. But in Wisconsin, money talks. Oayday lenders spent $669,000 on lobbying, and voila—payday loan regulations intended to protect consumers were reduced.
In 2015, Act 155 made it easier to for debt collectors to collect debt, but not in a good way.
Eases regulations on debt collectors by reducing the information that merchants and debt collectors are required to provide consumers in lawsuits to collect past-due bill payments or debts. The new law also exempts merchants and debt collectors from legal damages, penalties, and attorney fees for failing to comply with the Wisconsin Consumer Act of 1973 unless consumers can prove that their failure to follow the law was intentional.
Basically: If you owe money, the debt collector does not have to tell you anything, and if they violate the law, you the consumer have to prove the debt collector broke the law on purpose. So if you receive harassing phone calls at all hours of the day, you have to prove the debt collector intentionally broke the law.
Having been on the receiving end of these calls at one point in my life (they had the wrong Mark Andersen), trying to prove they are intentionally breaking the law is a difficult proposition at best, especially without a lawyer.
In the biggest giveaway in state history, 2013’s Act 1 was practically written by mining company Gogebic Taconite.
Loosens several state environmental safeguards for mining. The measure was requested and largely developed by Gogebic Taconite, a subsidiary of an out-of-state mining company that wanted to develop a massive open-pit iron mine in northern Wisconsin. Roughly the same bill that was approved in 2013 failed in the 2011 legislative session. In between the two bills, the company contributed $700,000 in 2012 to Wisconsin Club for Growth, a secretive issue ad group that spent an estimated $9.1 million to help Walker and GOP senators win their recall elections.
The mine luckily was never to be, as Gogebic Taconite pulled out of Wisconsin in 2015.
When it comes to the environment, the GOP cabal is not above destroying it. In 2015, Act 344 repealed Wisconsin’s ban on nuclear power plant construction. In 2011, Act 32 eliminated state funding for recycling and the state mandate that communities recycle waste. In 2015, Act 55 eliminated all state tax support for state parks. And the anti-environment, anti-science GOP cut 18 scientist positions from the Department of Natural Resources through 2015’s Act 55—this in the face of CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) expanding across the state.
And of course the GOP would exempt themselves from investigation: 2015’s Act 64 eliminates John Doe probes of politicians who violate ethics and elections laws. And if somehow they’re still brought up on charges, they can go venue shopping across the state for a friendly court thanks to 2011’s Act 61.
Most are familiar with 2011’s Act 10, the beginning of the dismantling of union rights in Wisconsin. It was followed by 2015’s Act 1, the “right to work” law, and 2015’s Act 55, which changed the prevailing wage law. Act 55 also eliminated the law requiring all workers to be given one day off within a seven-day week. This was followed by the dismantling of Wisconsin’s century-old Civil Service System with 2015’s Act 150.
The GOP is known as the party of local control—unless that local control goes against moneyed interests. That’s why Republican legislators rolled back local laws on tenant rights, cell phone tower placement, residency requirements, shoreline zoning, and my favorite: 2013’s Act 20, which prevents local government from restricting the sale of food and beverages based on calories, portion size, or nutritional quality. So thankfully, your Big Gulp is safe from Madison to Eagle River.
Scott Walker never graduated from college, and he evidently still has a grudge toward education. During his time as governor, voucher schools have been expanded, public school funding has been slashed, and Wisconsin’s crown jewel, the University of Wisconsin, has seen a series of devastating cuts.
2011 Act 32 – Cuts state funding for the UW System equal to the largest amount in state history – $250 million over two years – and later prohibiting the UW from imposing any general tuition increases.
In 2015, Act 60 gave $250 million to the Milwaukee Bucks for a new arena. Education gets cut, and a subpar professional basketball team gets a new arena.
The complete list is both lengthy and disturbing, and this article barely scratched the surface. Cuts to the safety net, urine tests for unemployment benefits, voter ID laws, concealed carry expansion, and attacks on Planned Parenthood which did nothing but restrict women’s health care are among the lowlights. Don’t forget tax cuts for the rich, and legislation written just to benefit campaign donors. The GOP cabal has sold the state to the highest bidder, as it’s clear campaign donations are nothing more than bribes in Walker’s Wisconsin.
Donate to the GOP or any one of the assorted GOP-leaning PACs, and you can buy any piece of legislation you want.