DE7 SB1: Bill Text

With certain exceptions, this bill imposes registration and reporting requirements, in addition, upon any individual who and organization that, within 60 days of an election and by means of communications media, makes any communication that includes a reference to a candidate at that election, an office to be filled at that election, or a political party. The bill also requires an individual or organization who or which becomes subject to a registration requirement by making such a communication to report, upon registration, the information that would have been required to be reported if the individual or organization had been registered with respect to any obligation incurred or disbursement made for the purpose of making such a communication prior to registration. The bill, however, does not require registration and reporting if the communication is made by a corporation, cooperative, or nonpolitical voluntary association and is limited to the corporation's, cooperative's, or association's members, shareholders, or subscribers.

The bill also creates an exception to the current prohibition on disbursements by corporations and cooperatives which permits a corporation or cooperative to make a disbursement for the purpose of making a communication within 60 days of an election by means of communications media that includes a reference to a candidate at that election, an office to be filled at that election, or a political party unless the communication is susceptible of no reasonable interpretation other than as an appeal to vote for or against a candidate for state or local office whose name is certified to appear on the ballot at the election. Under the bill, a corporation or cooperative making any such communication is subject to applicable registration and reporting requirements. The exception applies only if the communication: 1) does not mention an election, candidacy, opposing candidate, political party, or voting by the general public; and 2) does not take a position on a candidate's or officeholder's character, qualifications, or fitness for office, and either a) focuses on a legislative or executive matter or issue and urges a candidate to take a particular position or action with respect to the matter or issue or urges the public to contact a candidate with respect to the matter or issue, or b) proposes a commercial transaction, such as the purchase of a book, video, or other product or service.

Special reporting by certain registrants

Currently, a committee making contributions or a candidate or other individual or committee accepting contributions, making disbursements, or incurring obligations in support of or opposition to a candidate is generally required to file a report no later than the eighth day before a primary or election at which the candidate seeks nomination or election to office. The report must disclose contributions made or accepted, disbursements made, and obligations incurred through the 14th day prior to the primary or election. Currently, if a candidate for state office receives one or more contributions from a single contributor aggregating $500 or more during the 14-day period preceding an election, the candidate must report to the Government Accountability Board the information currently required to be disclosed pertaining to contributions received by the candidate no later than 24 hours following receipt of any such contribution or contributions.

This bill requires each candidate at the general or a special election for a major state office (the office of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, justice of the supreme court, state senator, or representative to the assembly) who does not accept a public grant (see below) and who makes any disbursement after the candidate has accumulated cash in his or her campaign depository or has made disbursements in his or her campaign exceeding a combined total of 75 percent of the amount of the disbursement limitation for the office that the candidate seeks, to file daily reports, by electronic mail or facsimile transmission, with the Government Accountability Board and with each candidate whose name appears on the ballot for the office in connection with which the disbursement is made. The daily reports may be filed no later than 24 hours after each disbursement is made, and must include the information that is currently required to be reported pertaining to disbursements made by candidates. The daily reports must be filed during the time period beginning with the later of the date of the disbursement that triggers the requirement or the seventh day after the applicable primary election or the date that a primary would be held, if required, and ending with date of the election at which the candidate seeks office.

The bill also creates additional reporting requirements, applicable to certain special interest committees. Under the bill, reporting may be required of any special interest committee, other than a conduit, that makes any disbursement (as currently defined) or incurs any obligation independently of a candidate for the purpose of advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate for a major state office at the general or a special election or any applicable primary election. These additional reporting requirements do not apply to communications that are made by a corporation, cooperative, or nonpolitical voluntary association and that are limited to the corporation's, cooperative's, or association's members, shareholders, or subscribers. Under the bill, the special interest committee must file these additional reports within 24 hours after a reportable transaction occurs.

Timeliness in filing reports

Currently, where a requirement is imposed under the campaign finance law for filing of a report by a specified date, the requirement may be satisfied by depositing the report with the U.S. Postal Service no later than the date provided by law for receipt of the report.

This bill permits satisfaction of the filing requirement only by delivering a report to the appropriate filing officer or agency on or before the date provided by law for receipt of the report or by depositing the report with the U.S. Postal Service no later than the third day before that date.

Disbursement limitations and independent disbursements

Under current law, disbursement (expenditure) levels are specified for candidates for various state and local offices. These levels become a binding limitation upon any candidate for state office who accepts a state grant from the Wisconsin election campaign fund or who agrees to be bound by the limitation, unless the candidate is opposed by a major opponent who could have qualified for a grant but declines to accept one. A candidate for state office who accepts a grant from the Wisconsin election campaign fund and who agrees to be bound by the disbursement limitation applicable to the office which the candidate seeks may receive a grant equal to 45 percent of that disbursement limitation, less contributions accepted by the candidate from committees other than political party and legislative campaign committees, if there are sufficient moneys in the fund to finance the full amount of grants for which candidates qualify.

Current law also imposes registration and financial reporting requirements on committees and individuals making disbursements independently of a candidate in support of or in opposition to a candidate for a state or local office. One requirement is the obligation of the committee or individual to file reports with the appropriate filing officer within 24 hours of making such a disbursement, if the disbursement is made less than 15 days before a primary or election and if the cumulative amount of such disbursements exceeds $20.

This bill does the following:

1. It revises the current disbursement levels applicable to candidates for the offices shown below as follows: - See PDF for table

2. It creates a biennial cost-of-living adjustment that causes the statutory disbursement levels to be adjusted biennially, beginning in 2008, in accordance with a formula tied to the "consumer price index" determined by the U.S. Department of Labor.

3. It provides that the current provision requiring reports of cumulative independent disbursements exceeding $20 made later than 15 days prior to a primary or election does not apply to a committee or individual that is required to file a special report concerning the same disbursement (see above), nor to a committee or individual that is subject to an electronic filing requirement (see above).

4. It increases the disbursement limitation of any candidate who accepts a public grant by certain amounts for which matching grants from the Wisconsin election campaign fund are potentially available (see grant eligibility requirements and amounts, below). Under the bill, the disbursement limitation of the candidate accepting the grant is increased by a total amount equal to: 1) the amount or value of disbursements made by an opponent in excess of the disbursement limitation; and 2) the amount or value of independent disbursements made to expressly advocate the defeat of the candidate or the election of his or her opponents by special interest committees during election campaign periods, as reported to the Government Accountability Board.

5. It repeals the procedure by which a candidate who would not otherwise be subject to statutory disbursement limitations may voluntarily agree to comply with these limitations.

6. It repeals the exemption from disbursement and self-contribution limitations that currently applies to any candidate who accepts a grant from the Wisconsin election campaign fund and who is opposed by a major opponent who could have qualified for a grant but declines to accept one.

Contribution limitations

Under current law, committees other than political party committees and legislative campaign committees are subject to limitations on the amount of contributions made cumulatively to a particular candidate. A committee may contribute up to $43,238 to a candidate for statewide office. Current law also limits the cumulative amount of contributions that a committee may make annually to a particular political party, limits the cumulative amount of contributions that a political party may accept annually from a particular committee, and limits the aggregate total of contributions that a political party may accept during any biennium from all committees. Currently, a committee may annually contribute up to $6,000 to a particular political party, a political party may annually accept up to $6,000 from a particular committee, and a political party may accept up to $150,000 in contributions from all committees during any biennium.

This bill establishes specified limitations on committee contributions to candidates for statewide office as follows: a) candidates for governor, $45,000; b) candidates for lieutenant governor, $15,000; c) candidates for attorney general, $25,000; and d) candidates for secretary of state, state treasurer, or superintendent of public instruction, $10,000. Under the bill, the limitation on committee contributions to a particular political party, and on the annual amount that a political party may accept from a particular committee, is increased to $18,000, and the aggregate limitation on contributions that a political party may accept during a biennium from all committees is increased to $600,000.

Under current law, the aggregate contributions accepted by a candidate for state or local office from all committees, when combined with any grant received from the Wisconsin election campaign fund, may not exceed 65 percent of the disbursement level or limitation for the office that the candidate seeks. In addition, the contributions received by a candidate for state or local office from all committees other than political party or legislative campaign committees, when combined with any grant received from the Wisconsin election campaign fund, may not exceed 45 percent of the disbursement level or limitation for the office that the candidate seeks. This bill provides that the contributions received by a candidate for state or local office from all committees other than political party committees, when combined with any nonsupplemental grant received from the Wisconsin election campaign fund, may not exceed 35 percent of the disbursement level or limitation for the office that the candidate seeks. Under the bill, a candidate who qualifies to receive a supplemental grant from the Wisconsin election campaign fund (see below) may exceed aggregate committee contribution limitations by an amount equal to the amount of the supplemental grant. The bill makes the aggregate contribution limits inapplicable to a candidate for the office of justice of the supreme court who receives a public financing benefit from the democracy trust fund (see below).

Under current law, a candidate who accepts a grant from the Wisconsin election campaign fund may not make contributions to his or her own campaign in an amount or value greater than 200 percent of the contribution limitation that applies to individuals making contributions to his or her campaign. Under the bill, if a candidate's disbursement limitation is increased as a result of disbursements made by an opposing candidate or independent disbursements or obligations made or incurred by others, this self-contribution limitation is increased by an amount equal to the ratio that the contribution limitation otherwise applicable to the candidate bears to the disbursement limitation otherwise applicable to the candidate, multiplied by the amount of the increased disbursement limitation authorized under the bill for that candidate.

Treatment of legislative campaign committees

Currently, the adherents of any political party in either house of the legislature may organize a "legislative campaign committee" to support the candidacy of members of their party for legislative office. Committees other than legislative campaign committees and political party committees are generally subject to a limitation upon the contributions that they may make to candidates for legislative office or to political parties. Legislative campaign committees are subject only to overall limitations on the aggregate contributions that may be accepted by a candidate from entities other than individuals.

This bill eliminates the special status of legislative campaign committees, thus causing them to be treated in the same manner as other special interest committees for the purpose of contribution limitations.

Other contribution restrictions

This bill prohibits contributions to incumbent partisan state officials and candidates for partisan state office during the period from the date of introduction of the executive budget bill through the date of enactment of the biennial budget act. The prohibition does not apply to contributions made to an incumbent who is subject to a recall election or to a nonincumbent candidate at a recall election beginning on the date on which a petitioner registers an intent to circulate a petition for a recall election against the incumbent and ending on the date of the recall election, except that if the circulation period expires without offering of the recall petition for filing, the filing officer determines not to file the petition, or the incumbent resigns, the period ends on the date of that event. The prohibition also does not apply to a candidate for a partisan state office at a special election. No similar provision exists currently.

Currently, if a registrant receives a contribution, the registrant must deposit the contribution in its campaign depository account no later than the end of the fifth business day commencing after receipt, unless the registrant returns the contribution before that time. A registrant must report the occupation and principal place of employment of any individual who makes any contribution or contributions to a registrant exceeding $100 in amount or value cumulatively within a calendar year. This bill provides that whenever a registrant receives a contribution in the form of money the registrant must obtain this information from a contributor, if required, before depositing the contributor's contribution in its campaign depository account. Under the bill, if the registrant does not obtain the required information within the period prescribed for making deposits, the registrant must return the contribution.

Disposition of residual or excess funds

Under current law, residual funds remaining when a person who is required to register under the campaign financing law disbands or ceases incurring obligations, making disbursements, or accepting contributions or excess funds received by a registrant that may not be legally expended may generally be used for any lawful political purpose, returned to the original contributors, or donated to a charitable organization or the common school fund.

This bill allows residual or excess funds to be transferred to the Wisconsin election campaign fund.

Wisconsin election campaign fund

Sources and uses of funds

Under current law, the Wisconsin election campaign fund is financed through an individual income tax "checkoff." Every individual filing a state income tax return who has a tax liability or is entitled to a tax refund may direct that $1 of general purpose revenue be transferred to the fund. Individuals filing a joint return may separately choose whether to direct that the $1 transfer be made. All moneys transferred to the fund are placed in accounts for specified state offices, and candidates for those offices may qualify for grants from the fund to be used for specified campaign expenses. No moneys in the fund may be used for any other purpose. The amounts of grants may be reduced if insufficient moneys are available in the fund to finance full payment of all grants for which candidates qualify.

This bill does the following:

1. It increases the amount of the individual income tax checkoff for the Wisconsin election campaign fund from $1 to $5, effective for tax returns filed for taxable years beginning on or after January 1 following the day on which the bill becomes law. Under the bill, individuals filing a joint return may separately choose whether to make the $5 checkoff. The bill also permits individuals to determine whether to designate their checkoffs for a "general account," which is distributed to all candidates who qualify for a grant, or for the account of an eligible political party, which is distributed to all candidates representing that party who qualify for a grant. In addition, if there are insufficient moneys in these accounts to permit any candidate who qualifies for a grant from receiving the full amount for which the candidate qualifies, the bill provides for the deficiency to be drawn from state general purpose revenue.

2. It directs the legal counsel to the Government Accountability Board to take steps to incorporate a nonstock, nonprofit corporation to be known as the "Public Integrity Endowment." The bill directs the legal counsel to ensure that the corporation is structured so that contributions made to the foundation will be tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Under the bill, the sole purpose of the endowment is to solicit contributions for the purpose of supplementing the assets of the Wisconsin election campaign fund and transferring those contributions, after deduction of solicitation costs, to the general account of the fund. Currently, any person may make an unrestricted donation to the Wisconsin election campaign fund. The donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. However, the fund does not solicit contributions.

Grant eligibility requirements and amounts

Under current law, grants from the Wisconsin election campaign fund are available to finance specified campaign expenses of eligible candidates for the offices of state senator, representative to the assembly, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, state treasurer, secretary of state, justice of the supreme court, and superintendent of public instruction. To receive a grant, a candidate must file an application with the state Government Accountability Board no later than the deadline for filing nomination papers. Following the primary election or the date on which a primary would be held, if required, the board determines whether a candidate who applies for a grant meets the following eligibility requirements:

1. If the candidate seeks a partisan state office at a general election, the candidate must have received at least six percent of the total votes cast in the primary and have won the primary. If the candidate seeks a partisan state office at a special election, the candidate must either: a) appear on the ballot or in the column of a political party whose candidate for the same office at the preceding general election received at least six percent of the vote; or b) receive at least six percent of the votes cast at the special election.

2. The candidate must have an opponent in the election.

3. The candidate must receive, during a specified time period, a specified amount through contributions from individuals of $100 or less. For a candidate for the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, justice of the supreme court, or superintendent of public instruction, the amount is five percent of the authorized disbursement level for the office which the candidate seeks. For a candidate for the office of state senator or representative to the assembly, the amount is ten percent of the authorized disbursement level for the office which the candidate seeks.

Under current law, a candidate for any office who accepts a grant must comply with statutorily prescribed contribution and disbursement limitations, unless at least one of the candidate's opponents who received at least six percent of the votes cast for all candidates for that office at a partisan primary, if a primary was held, does not accept a grant and does not voluntarily agree to comply with the contribution and disbursement limitations for that office. The maximum grant that a candidate may receive is that amount which, when added to all other contributions accepted from sources other than individuals, political party committees, and legislative campaign committees, is equal to 45 percent of the authorized disbursement level for the office which the candidate seeks. No grants are available to finance campaign expenses in primary elections.

Currently, the Government Accountability Board must notify the state treasurer that a candidate has qualified to receive a grant as soon as possible after the board is able to determine that the candidate has qualified to receive the grant. The state treasurer then has three business days to transmit the grant to the candidate.

This bill does the following:

1. It provides that a candidate for the office of state senator or representative to the assembly must receive contributions equal to only five percent of the authorized disbursement level for the office which the candidate seeks in order to qualify for a grant, but provides that the contributions of $100 or less from individuals used by a candidate for any state office to determine eligibility for a grant from the Wisconsin election campaign fund must be made by individuals who reside in this state and, in the case of a candidate for legislative office, at least 50 percent of those contributions must be made by individuals who reside in the district in which the candidate seeks office, except that a candidate may substitute contributions received from political party committees for not more than 50 percent of the contributions required to be received from residents of the district.

2. It provides that the maximum grant that a candidate for state office may receive is that amount which, when added to all other contributions accepted by the candidate from committees other than political party committees, is equal to 35 percent of the disbursement limitation for the office that the candidate seeks, unless the candidate qualifies to receive a supplemental grant (see below).

3. It provides that a candidate who accepts a grant shall receive a supplemental grant in a maximum amount equal to: a) the total amount of disbursements exceeding the amount of the disbursement limitation for that office made by an opposing candidate who does not accept a grant; and b) the total amount of any independent disbursements in close proximity to the election that are made by special interest committees to oppose that candidate, or to support that candidate's opponent, if that total amount exceeds ten percent of the disbursement limitation for the office that the candidate seeks, except that the total supplemental grant received by a candidate may not exceed an amount equal to three times the disbursement limitation for the office that the candidate seeks.

4. It requires the state treasurer to electronically transmit supplemental grants to qualifying candidates who so request as soon as possible after the candidates qualify to receive the supplemental grants, but in no case later than the end of the third business day after the Government Accountability Board notifies the treasurer that a candidate has qualified to receive a grant.

Penalties for violations

Currently, violators of the campaign finance law are subject to a forfeiture (civil penalty) of not more than $500 for each violation, except that violators of contribution limitations are subject to a forfeiture of not more than treble the amount unlawfully contributed. In addition, currently, any person who is delinquent in filing a report is subject to a forfeiture of not more than $50 or one percent of the annual salary of the office for which a candidate is being supported or opposed, whichever is greater, for each day of delinquency.

Currently, whoever intentionally violates certain provisions of the campaign finance law, such as registration requirements, contribution limitations, the prohibition against making contributions in the name of another person, the prohibition against using contributions for most nonpolitical purposes, and the prohibition against filing false reports and statements, may be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both, if the violation does not exceed $100 in amount or value, and may be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than three years and six months, or both, if the violation exceeds $100 in amount or value.

This bill provides that if any person, including a candidate or committee other than a conduit, makes a disbursement to support or oppose a candidate for a major state office (governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer, or state superintendent of public instruction) without first reporting to the extent required under the bill, the offender is subject to a forfeiture (civil penalty) of not more than $500 for each day of violation. The bill also provides that if any person, including any of these candidates or committees, makes one or more disbursements or other expenditures for such a purpose in an amount that is more or less than the amount reported by that person:

l. By more than five percent but not more than ten percent, the person must forfeit four times the amount of the difference.

2. By more than ten percent but not more than 15 percent, the person must forfeit six times the amount of the difference.

3. By more than 15 percent, the person must forfeit eight times the amount of the difference.

Public broadcasting television stations and public access channels

Current law requires that free time on public broadcasting television stations and public access channels be provided to candidates for state office. Under current law, the Federal Communications Commission grants licenses for the operation of public broadcasting television stations. Also under current law, a city, village, or town is authorized to grant a franchise to a person that allows that person to operate a cable television system in the city, village, or town. Under the franchise, the person may be required to provide cable television channels that the city, village, or town may use for public, educational, or governmental purposes. A channel that is used exclusively for public, rather than educational or governmental purposes, is commonly referred to as a public access channel. A city, village, or town may operate a public access channel, or a city, village, or town may allow another person to operate the channel. Current law requires the Government Accountability Board to promulgate rules that require licensees of public broadcasting stations and operators of public access channels to provide a minimum amount of free time to candidates for state office at general, spring, and special elections. The rules must require the same amount of time for each candidate for a particular state office, but may require different amounts of time for different offices.

This bill repeals these provisions.

Individual income tax credit

This bill creates a nonrefundable individual income tax credit for contributions to the Public Integrity Endowment. Under the bill, an individual may claim as an income tax credit, up to the amount of the individual's income tax liability, any amount that he or she contributes to the Public Integrity Endowment. If a married couple files a joint return, each spouse may claim the credit.

Public financing of campaigns for justice

This bill makes numerous changes in the campaign finance law affecting campaigns for the office of justice of the supreme court. The bill limits the application of the Wisconsin election campaign fund, under which eligible candidates for certain state offices (including justice of the supreme court) may receive public grants from state general purpose revenues derived from designations made by individuals filing state income tax returns, to state offices other than the office of justice. To finance elections for the office of justice of the supreme court, the bill creates a democracy trust fund, under which eligible candidates for this office may receive public grants derived from general purpose revenues.

Under the bill, a candidate for the office of justice of the supreme court may qualify for public financing from the democracy trust fund to finance a campaign in a primary or election by receiving qualifying contributions of at least $5 but not more than $100 each made by an elector of this state in an aggregate amount of at least $5,000 but not more than $15,000. A candidate who accepts public financing may also accept "seed money" contributions in amounts of $100 or less, subject to aggregate limitations, and may contribute personal funds in specified amounts during specified periods. In order to qualify for a public financing benefit for the primary, a candidate at the primary must have an opponent who qualifies to have his or her name appear on the ballot at the spring primary, and in order to qualify for a public financing benefit for the spring election, a candidate at the election must have an opponent who qualifies to have his or her name appear on the ballot at the election. A candidate who accepts a public financing benefit may not accept any contributions other than qualifying and seed money contributions and contributions from personal funds within the limitations permitted. Public financing benefits for eligible candidates are $100,000 in the spring primary and $300,000 in the spring election. The benefits are subject to a biennial cost of living adjustment. A candidate who accepts more than a specified amount of qualifying or seed money contributions has the excess deducted from his or her public financing benefit. In addition, if a candidate's opponent declines to accept a public financing benefit and makes expenditures in a total amount that exceeds by more than 5 percent the amount permitted for a candidate who accepts a public financing benefit, the candidate who accepts a public financing benefit receives additional funding equivalent to the excess expenditures made by his or her opponent, but not more than three times the amount of the public financing benefit for the office that the candidate seeks. A candidate also receives additional public financing equivalent to any independent expenditures made against the candidate or in support of his or her opponents if those expenditures exceed 20 percent of the amount of the public financing benefit for the office that the candidate seeks (but not more than three times the amount of that benefit).

The bill provides that if a candidate makes disbursements that exceed the total amount of the public financing benefit allocated to the candidate and the total qualifying and seed money contributions lawfully accepted by the candidate, the candidate is subject to a forfeiture (civil penalty) of not more than ten times the amount by which his or her disbursements exceed the allocation. In addition, the bill provides that a candidate who accepts contributions in excess of any limitation imposed under the bill is subject to a forfeiture of not more than ten times the amount by which the contributions exceed the applicable limitation. The bill also provides that if any candidate or agent of a candidate knowingly accepts more contributions than the candidate is entitled to receive, or makes disbursements exceeding the total amount of the public financing benefit received by the candidate and the qualifying and seed money contributions lawfully received by the candidate, the candidate or agent may be fined not more than $25,000 or imprisoned for not more than ten years, or both. Under the bill, any person who, in connection with the receipt or disbursement of a public financing benefit, knowingly provides false information to the Government Accountability Board, or knowingly conceals or withholds information from the board, is subject to the same penalty.

Currently, a candidate for the office of justice of the supreme court may qualify to receive a grant from the Wisconsin election campaign fund for use in an election campaign only (no funding is provided for primary campaigns). In order to qualify for a grant, a candidate must qualify to have his or her name appear on the spring election ballot and must have an opponent who qualifies to have his or her name appear on that ballot. The maximum amount of a grant that a candidate may receive is $97,031. This amount is not subject to any cost of living adjustment. In addition, this amount is reduced by the total amount of contributions received by a candidate from special interest committees and this amount may not be fully funded in a particular year if there are not sufficient moneys in the Wisconsin election campaign fund to provide full financing for all qualifying candidates. A candidate must agree to abide by spending and self-contribution limits in order to receive a grant, but this agreement does not apply if the candidate has an opponent who could have qualified for a grant but declines to do so and declines to file an affidavit of voluntary compliance with spending and self-contribution limits.

Currently, individuals and committees making political contributions to candidates for the office of justice of the supreme court are subject to limitations on the amount or value of any contribution or contributions that may be made cumulatively to any candidate in a campaign. The limitations are $10,000 in the case of an individual making a contribution to a candidate and $8,625 in the case of a committee making a contribution to a candidate. This bill replaces these limitations with a contribution limitation of $1,000 applicable to an individual or committee making any contribution or contributions cumulatively during a campaign period to any candidate for the office of justice of the supreme court who is eligible to qualify for a public financing benefit but who declines to accept one.

The changes take effect on June 1, 2008.

Nonseverability

Currently, if any part of an act is found by a court to be invalid, those parts that are valid are severed from the invalid part and the severed parts continue in force. This bill provides that, if any of the following parts of the bill is unconstitutional, then all of the following parts are void: 1) parts relating to the reporting of certain expenditures and obligations by candidates and special interest committees; and 2) parts relating to the provision of supplemental grants to candidates whose opponents exceed disbursement limitations or who are opposed or whose opponents are supported by any reportable disbursements by candidates or independent disbursements or obligations, including those that are reportable under current law.

Initial applicability

All campaign finance changes under the bill apply to elections held on or after January 1, 2008, except that the directive to incorporate a Public Integrity Endowment takes effect on the day on which the bill becomes law. Under the bill, changes to the income tax checkoff and the creation of an individual income tax credit for contributions to the endowment apply to taxable years beginning on January 1 of the year in which the bill becomes law, if the bill becomes law by July 31, in any year, or otherwise to taxable years beginning on January 1 of the following year.

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report concerning the proposed penalty and the costs or savings that are likely to result if the bill is enacted.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB1, s. 1 Section 1. 5.02 (13) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB1,16,7 5.02 (13) "Political party" or "party" means a state committee registered under s. 11.05 and organized exclusively for political purposes under whose name candidates appear on a ballot at any election, and all county, congressional, legislative, local and other affiliated committees authorized to operate under the same name. For purposes of ch. 11, the term does not include a legislative campaign committee or a committee filing an oath under s. 11.06 (7).

SB1, s. 2 Section 2. 7.08 (2) (c) and (cm) of the statutes are amended to read:

SB1,17,5 7.08 (2) (c) As soon as possible after the canvass of the spring and September primary votes, but no later than the first Tuesday in March and the 4th Tuesday in September, transmit to the state treasurer a certified list of all eligible candidates for state office who have filed applications under s. 11.50 (2) and whom the board determines to be are eligible to receive payments grants from the Wisconsin election campaign fund. The board shall also electronically transmit a similar list containing the name of each candidate whom the board determines is eligible to receive a grant under s. 11.50 (9) (ba) or (bb) within 24 hours after the candidate qualifies to receive such a grant. Each list shall contain each candidate's name, the mailing address indicated upon the candidate's registration form, the office for which the individual is a candidate and the party or principle which he or she represents, if any.

SB1,17,19 (cm) As soon as possible after the canvass of a special primary, or the date that the primary would be held, if required, transmit to the state treasurer a certified list of all eligible candidates for state office who have filed applications under s. 11.50 (2) and whom the board determines to be eligible to receive a grant grants from the Wisconsin election campaign fund prior to the election. The board shall also transmit a similar list of candidates, if any, who have filed applications under s. 11.50 (2) and whom the board determines to be eligible to receive a grant grants under s. 11.50 (1) (a) 2. 1. b. after the special election. The board shall electronically transmit a similar list containing the name of each candidate whom the board determines is eligible to receive a grant under s. 11.50 (9) (ba) or (bb) within 24 hours after the candidate qualifies to receive such a grant. Each list shall contain each candidate's name, the mailing address indicated upon the candidate's registration form, the office for which the individual is a candidate and the party or principle which he or she represents, if any.

SB1, s. 3 Section 3. 7.08 (2) (cs) of the statutes is created to read:

SB1,17,23 7.08 (2) (cs) In each even-numbered year, certify to the state treasurer for the period beginning with the month following certification and ending with the month in which the next certification is made by the board:

SB1,18,2 1. No later than July 1, the name of each political party that qualifies under s. 11.50 (1) (am) 1. as an eligible political party as of the preceding June 1 and whose state chairperson has filed a written request to establish an account for the party under s. 11.50 (2s) (a).

SB1,18,6 2. No later than December 15, the name of each political party that qualifies under s. 11.50 (1) (am) 2. as an eligible political party as of the date of the preceding general election and whose state chairperson has filed a written request to establish an account for the party under s. 11.50 (2s) (a).

SB1, s. 4 Section 4. 8.30 (2) of the statutes is amended to read: