199.12(3)
(3) Nomination. A candidate for election to the board shall circulate a petition for nomination not sooner than 120 days preceding the election and shall file the petition with the corporation not later than 60 days prior to the election. The petition for nomination shall be signed by at least 5% or 30, whichever is less, of the members residing in his or her district. The board shall verify the validity of the signatures. Within 14 days after the petition is due, the board shall determine whether a sufficient number of signatures are valid. If the board determines a sufficient number are valid, it shall certify the nomination of the candidate.
199.12(4)
(4) Statement of financial interests. A candidate for election to the board whose nomination is certified under
sub. (3) shall submit to the board, not later than 60 days prior to the election, a statement of financial interests upon a form provided by the board. The statement of financial interests shall include the following information:
199.12(4)(a)
(a) The occupation, employer and position at place of employment of the candidate and of his or her immediate family members.
199.12(4)(b)
(b) A list of all corporate and organizational directorships or other offices, and of all fiduciary relationships, held in the past 3 years by the candidate and by his or her immediate family members.
199.12(4)(c)
(c) The name of any creditor to whom the candidate or a member of the candidate's immediate family owes $3,000 or more, and the amount owed.
199.12(4)(d)
(d) The name of any corporation in which the candidate holds a security, the current market value of which is $3,000 or more and the dollar value of such security. In this paragraph, "security" includes any share of stock, bond, debenture, note or other security issued by a corporation which is registered as to ownership on the books of the corporation.
199.12(4)(e)
(e) An affirmation, subject to penalty of false swearing under
s. 946.32, that the information contained in the statement of financial interests is true and complete.
199.12(5)
(5) Statement of personal background and positions. A candidate for election to the board whose nomination is certified under
sub. (3) shall submit to the board, not later than 60 days prior to the election, on a form to be provided by the board, a statement concerning his or her personal background and positions on issues relating to public utilities or the operations of the corporation. The statement shall contain an affirmation, subject to penalty of false swearing under
s. 946.32, that the candidate meets the qualifications prescribed for directors in
s. 199.06 (2).
199.12(6)
(6) Restrictions on and reporting of campaign contributions and expenditures. 199.12(6)(a)(a) No candidate may accept more than $50 in campaign contributions from any person or political committee from one year before the date of an election through the date of the election.
199.12(6)(b)
(b) Each candidate for election to the board shall keep complete records of all contributions to his or her campaign of $15 or more made from one year before the date of an election through the date of the election, and, at the board's request, shall make such records available for inspection by the board.
199.12(6)(c)
(c) As a condition for receiving the benefits of the board's mailing under
sub. (7) (a) 2., a candidate for election to the board shall agree in writing to incur no more than $500 in campaign expenditures from the time he or she commences circulation of petitions for nomination or from 4 months prior to the election, whichever is earlier, through the date of the election.
199.12(6)(d)
(d) Each candidate for election to the board shall keep complete records of his or her campaign expenditures, and, at the board's request, shall make such records available for inspection by the board.
199.12(6)(e)
(e) No earlier than 14 days and no later than 8 days preceding the election and no earlier than 21 days and no later than 30 days after the election, each candidate for election to the board shall submit to the board, on a form provided by the board, an accurate statement of his or her campaign contributions accepted and campaign expenditures incurred, and shall affirm to the board, subject to penalty of false swearing under
s. 946.32, that he or she has fully complied with the requirements of this subsection.
199.12(6)(f)
(f) No candidate for election to the board may use any campaign contribution for any purpose except for campaign expenditures. Any campaign contribution not expended shall be donated no later than 90 days after the election to the corporation or to any charitable organization at the option of the candidate.
199.12(7)(a)(a) The board shall mail or distribute to each member's address on file with the corporation, not sooner than 21 and not later than 14 days before the date fixed for the election:
199.12(7)(a)1.
1. An official ballot listing all candidates for director from the member's district whose nominations the board has certified and who satisfy the requirements of
sub. (2). The board shall include with the ballot each candidate's statement of financial interests submitted under
sub. (4).
199.12(7)(a)2.
2. The statement by each candidate for election to the board of personal background and positions as required under
sub. (5), if the candidate has agreed in writing to limit his or her campaign expenditures under
sub. (6) (c).
199.12(7)(b)
(b) Each member may vote in the election by returning his or her official ballot in person or by 1st class mail, properly marked, to the head office of the corporation. The ballot must be received by the corporation by 8 p.m. of the date fixed for the election.
199.12(7)(d)
(d) The board shall tally votes with all reasonable speed and shall inform the membership promptly of the names of the candidates elected.
199.12(7)(e)
(e) For each district the board within 30 days of the election shall certify a candidate elected to the board if the candidate has the most votes in the district and if the candidate has complied with this section.
199.12(7)(f)
(f) In the first election of directors the board within 30 days of the election shall certify as elected the 2 candidates with the most votes in each district who have complied with this section. The candidate with the most votes in each district shall have the longer term as designated by the interim board of directors under
s. 199.11 (2) (g).
199.12(7)(g)
(g) If the candidate with the most votes dies, declines or resigns from candidacy prior to being certified under
par. (e), the office for which the candidate ran shall be vacant and shall be filled by the board under
s. 199.06 (6) (b).
199.12(8)
(8) Election rules. The board may prescribe rules for the conduct of elections and election campaigns not inconsistent with this chapter.
199.12 History
History: 1979 c. 72;
1997 a. 297.
199.125
199.125
Public records. Statements filed with the corporation under
ss. 199.07 (2) (g),
199.074 and
199.12 (4),
(5) and
(6) (e) shall be available for public inspection at the office of the corporation during reasonable hours of the day. Such records may be copied. The corporation may charge a reasonable fee for the cost of such copies.
199.125 History
History: 1979 c. 72.
199.13(1)(1)
Election. The interim board of directors and the board of directors, at the first regular meeting of each at which a quorum is present, shall elect by a majority vote of the directors present and voting a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. The board may elect such other officers as it deems necessary.
199.13(2)(a)(a) Board officers shall begin serving immediately upon their election and their term of office shall be one year. An officer may resign or may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of all the directors. After his or her term of office has expired, a board officer shall continue to serve until his or her successor is elected.
199.13(2)(b)
(b) If a board office is vacant, the board shall elect a successor to serve out the term of the office.
199.13(3)
(3) Powers and duties. Board officers shall exercise powers and perform duties as prescribed by this chapter or as delegated to them by the board.
199.13 History
History: 1979 c. 72.
199.14
199.14
Corrupt practices and conflicts of interest. 199.14(1)(1) No person may offer or give anything of monetary value to any director, employee or agent of the corporation if the offer or gift influences, or is intended to influence, the action or judgment of the director, employee or agent of the corporation in his or her capacity as director, employee or agent of the corporation.
199.14(2)
(2) No director, employee or agent of the corporation may solicit or accept anything of monetary value from any person if the solicitation or acceptance influences, or is intended to influence, the official action or judgment of the director, employee or agent in his or her capacity as director, employee or agent of the corporation.
199.14(3)
(3) Any person who knowingly and willfully violates this section may be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than 6 months or both.
199.14(4)
(4) The board shall remove from office any director convicted under this section and shall fill such office under
s. 199.06 (6) (b).
199.14 History
History: 1979 c. 72,
177.
199.15
199.15
Corporation to be nonpartisan. The corporation may not sponsor, endorse or otherwise support, nor may it oppose, any political party or the candidacy of any person for public office.
199.15 History
History: 1979 c. 72.
199.16
199.16
Expenses. All expenses of the corporation incurred in carrying out this chapter shall be payable solely from the funding as provided under this chapter, and no liability may be incurred by the corporation beyond the extent to which moneys have been provided under this chapter except that, for the purposes of meeting the necessary expenses of initial organization and operation of the corporation for the period commencing on November 29, 1979 and continuing until the first election of the board of directors under
s. 199.12, the corporation may borrow such moneys as it requires. Such moneys borrowed by the corporation shall subsequently be repaid with appropriate interest over a reasonable period of time.
199.16 History
History: 1979 c. 72.
199.17 History
History: 1979 c. 72;
1997 a. 79.
199.18(1)(1) This chapter, being necessary for the welfare of the state and its inhabitants, shall be liberally construed to effect its purposes.
199.18(2)
(2) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to limit the right of any person to initiate, intervene in, or otherwise participate in any regulatory agency proceeding or court action, nor to require any petition or notification to the corporation as a condition precedent to the exercise of such right, nor to relieve any regulatory agency or court of any obligation, or to affect its discretion, to permit intervention or participation by any person in any proceeding or action.
199.18 History
History: 1979 c. 72.
