Final Five / Ranked Choice Voting and the Money Trail.
There has been so much pressing information to share over the last few weeks I almost didn’t know where to start. Then I listened to the Senate hearing on Tuesday, December 12th, 2023. The hearing held by the Senate Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection started at 10:00am. Another bill being proposed which addresses Monday count was also part of the hearing, but I want to focus on SB528 proposing Final Five Voting. You can find the bill text here: SB528 Final Five Voting.
In Wisconsin there are two groups pushing hard for Final Five Voting. The first is Democracy Found and the second is Take Back Action.
At the hearing on Tuesday there was a total of 38 speakers who testified for or against SB528. Of those 38 speakers, 19 of them were in favor of Final Five Voting and of those nineteen only FOUR were individuals unaffiliated with an organization like Democracy Found, Take Back Action, or one of the other two out of state interests pushing for Final Five. In order the 15 who spoke in favor of the bill with an organization, as a paid author of the bill or as a lobbyist are:
Senator Jesse James who has received $10,360 from Democracy Found
Assembly Representative Ron Tusler who has received $11,285 from Democracy Found
Senator Jeff Smith who has received $25,700 from Democracy Found
Former U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble is on the board for Democracy Found
Sara Eskrich primary lobbyist and Executive Director of Democracy Found (She was accompanied by three other individuals from Democracy Found, Rick, Greg and Kevin #6,7 & 8)
Kelly Grebe on the Leadership Circle for Democracy Found
Bob Maline Board Member of GROWW pushing Final Five appearing with Reese and Lena #11 & 12
John Pudner founder and lobbyist for Take Back Action
Matt Germer a D.C. Activist with R. Street Institute pushing for Final Five Voting
Katherine Gehl co-founder of Democracy Found. Gehl worked for Obama from 2011-2015.
The members of the Senate Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection are:
Senator Knodl (Chairman) received $500 from Democracy Found. Keep in mind that Dan Knodl was just elected to the senate in a special election held in April 2023.
Senator Feyen (Vice-Chairman) received $1,675 from Democracy Found
Senator Quinn received $8,150 from Democracy Found
Senator Spreitzer, doesn’t appear to have received money from Democracy Found
Senator Smith received $25,700 from Democracy Found
Please tell me how there is not a conflict of interest when the authors of a bill have received money from the organization lobbying for and pushing this bill in Wisconsin and then 4 of the 5 committee members hearing testimony from that same organization and lobbyists have received money from Democracy Found.
It sounds more like Democracy forSALE!! We cannot allow this to stand in a Constitutional Republic.
Thanks for sharing this Adrianne.