MADISON – Today Rep. Terese Berceau (D-Madison) offered the Democratic Weekly Radio Address. The topic this week is the Republican push to eliminate Wisconsin's non-partisan government and elections watchdog, the Government Accountability Board.

"The Government Accountability Board that Republicans want to dismantle has often been cited as a national model. We should not return to the failed partisan model that existed before," Rep. Berceau said. "Democrats want to keep government open and transparent and work on strengthening our schools and growing our economy, not improving the political fortunes of one party or of a governor who has already left our state behind. We need the GAB to be a watchdog, not a lapdog."

The audio file of this week’s address can be found here and a video version can be found here.

Published on Jul 23, 2015

A written transcript of the address is below:

Well, here they go again.

Just two weeks ago, Republicans tried to dismantle our state’s open records laws. There was a huge public backlash. Now Republicans and the governor want to abolish the non-partisan Government Accountability Board that makes sure politicians follow our election finance laws.

Why would Republicans do this? They didn’t like some of the recent decisions made by the board of six non-partisan, retired judges. They’d rather be able to hide the source of their political donations. It’s the same reason Republicans severely limited early voting, drew legislative maps that favor their party, and voted to make it easier for lobbyists to give money to their campaigns. They want to win any way they can, fair or not.

The Government Accountability Board that Republicans want to dismantle has often been cited as a national model. And every single Republican legislator voted to establish this watchdog agency in 2007. We should not return to the failed partisan model that existed before.

Democrats want to keep government open and transparent and work on strengthening our schools and growing our economy, not improving the political fortunes of one party or of a governor who has already left our state behind. We need the GAB to be a watchdog, not a lapdog. This newest assault on open government needs to end.