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2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE
2015 Senate BILL 294
October 9, 2015 - Introduced by Senators Vukmir, LeMahieu, S. Fitzgerald,
Wanggaard, Darling, Kapenga, Nass and Stroebel, cosponsored by
Representatives Knudson, Bernier, Knodl, Allen, August, Ballweg, R.
Brooks
, Czaja, Hutton, Jagler, Katsma, Kerkman, Kleefisch, Kooyenga,
Kremer, Kuglitsch, T. Larson, Loudenbeck, Nygren, A. Ott, J. Ott,
Sanfelippo, Skowronski and Vorpagel. Referred to Committee on Elections
and Local Government.
SB294,3,7 1An Act to repeal 5.05 (1m), 5.05 (2m) (c) 3., 5.05 (2m) (c) 8., 5.05 (2m) (g), 5.05
2(2s), 5.052, 5.054, 5.09, 5.68 (3m), 13.62 (4), 15.07 (1) (a) 2., 15.07 (2) (b), 15.07
3(5) (m), 15.60 (title), 15.60 (2), 15.60 (3), 15.60 (5), 15.60 (7), 15.603 (title), 15.603
4(1) (title), 15.603 (2) (title), 15.607, 19.42 (3), 20.511 (intro.) and (1) (title),
520.511 (1) (im), 20.923 (4) (f) 3j., 230.08 (2) (e) 4h., 230.08 (2) (on) and 758.19 (9);
6to renumber 5.05 (2m) (c) 2. b., 15.60 (6), 20.511 (1) (bm), 20.511 (1) (c), 20.511
7(1) (d), 20.511 (1) (t) and 20.511 (1) (x); to renumber and amend 5.02 (1s), 5.05
8(2), 5.05 (6a), 12.01, 15.06 (2), 15.60 (1), 15.60 (4), 15.60 (8), 15.603 (1), 15.603
9(2), 19.47, 19.851, 20.511 (1) (a), 20.511 (1) (be), 20.511 (1) (g), 20.511 (1) (h),
1020.511 (1) (i), 20.511 (1) (j), 20.511 (1) (jm) and 20.511 (1) (m); to consolidate,
11renumber and amend
5.05 (5s) (f) 2. a. and b.; to amend 5.01 (4) (a), 5.05
12(title), 5.05 (1) (intro.), 5.05 (1) (b), 5.05 (1) (c), 5.05 (1) (d), 5.05 (1) (e), 5.05 (1)
13(f), 5.05 (1e), 5.05 (2m) (a), 5.05 (2m) (c) 2. a., 5.05 (2m) (c) 4., 5.05 (2m) (c) 5.
14(intro.), 5.05 (2m) (c) 6. a., 5.05 (2m) (c) 6. b., 5.05 (2m) (c) 12., 5.05 (2m) (c) 13.,

15.05 (2m) (c) 14., 5.05 (2m) (d) 1., 5.05 (2m) (h), 5.05 (2m) (i), 5.05 (2w), 5.05 (3g),
25.05 (5e), 5.05 (5s) (intro.), 5.05 (5s) (b), 5.05 (5s) (bm), 5.05 (5s) (d), 5.05 (5s) (f)
32. c., 5.05 (9), 5.05 (10), 5.05 (11), 5.055, 5.056, 5.07, 5.08, 5.40 (7), 5.58 (2), 5.58
4(2m), 5.60 (1) (b), 5.62 (4) (b), 5.93, 6.26 (3), 6.275 (1) (f), 6.275 (2), 6.33 (5) (a),
56.36 (1) (b) 1. a., 6.36 (1) (bm), 6.36 (2) (a), 6.50 (2g), 6.50 (7), 6.56 (3), 6.95, 6.96,
66.97 (1), 7.03 (1) (a), 7.03 (1) (b), 7.03 (2), 7.08 (title), 7.08 (1) (a), 7.08 (4), 7.15
7(1) (g), 7.41 (5), 7.52 (1) (a), 7.60 (4) (a), 7.60 (5), 7.70 (3) (b), 7.70 (3) (i), 7.70 (5)
8(a), 8.05 (1) (j) 3., 8.10 (5), 8.10 (6) (a), 8.15 (4) (b), 8.17 (9) (a), 8.20 (6), 8.20 (7),
98.30 (2m), 8.50 (1) (a), 8.50 (3) (a), 8.50 (3) (e), 9.01 (1) (a) 1., 9.01 (1) (a) 4., 9.01
10(1) (ag) 4., 9.01 (1) (ar) 3., 9.01 (5) (a), 9.01 (5) (bm), 9.01 (5) (c), 9.01 (6) (a), 9.01
11(7) (a), 9.01 (8) (a), 9.01 (8) (c), 9.01 (8) (d), 9.01 (10), 10.06 (1) (title), 11.09, 11.21
12(title), 11.21 (7) (intro.), 11.30 (2) (fm), 11.60 (4), 11.61 (2), 12.13 (5) (a), 13.123
13(3) (b) 2., 13.23, 13.63 (1) (a), 13.685, 14.38 (10m), 15.01 (2), 15.04 (1) (d), 15.06
14(5), 15.06 (6), 15.07 (1) (cm), 15.07 (4), 16.753 (2), 16.79 (2), 16.96 (3) (b), 16.973
15(6), 17.17 (1), 17.17 (4), 19.43 (4), 19.43 (5), 19.46 (1) (intro.), 19.48 (intro.), 19.48
16(1), 19.48 (2), 19.48 (3), 19.48 (7), 19.48 (9), 19.55 (1), 19.55 (2) (c), 19.59 (1) (g)
178., 19.85 (1) (h), 19.851 (title), 20.505 (1) (d), 20.930, 20.9305 (2) (e) (intro.),
1838.16 (3) (br) 3., 45.44 (1) (b), 49.165 (4) (a), 59.605 (3) (a) 3., 67.05 (3) (b), 67.05
19(6), 73.0301 (1) (d) 13., 73.0301 (1) (e), 85.61 (1), 108.227 (1) (e) 13., 108.227 (1)
20(f), 117.20 (2), 117.27 (2) (b) (intro.), 121.91 (3) (c), 125.05 (1) (b) 10., 165.25 (1),
21165.93 (4) (a), 198.08 (10), 200.09 (11) (am) 2., 200.09 (11) (am) 3., 227.03 (6),
22227.52 (6), 230.08 (4) (a), 234.02 (3m) (c), 301.03 (20m), 343.11 (2m), 756.04 (2)
23(c) 1., 778.135, 978.05 (1) and 978.05 (2); and to create 5.05 (2m) (k), 5.05 (2q),
245.05 (3d), 5.05 (5s) (am), 5.05 (5t), 5.05 (6a) (a) 3., 5.05 (6a) (b) 2., 5.05 (6a) (b)
253., 5.05 (6a) (c) 1., 5.05 (6a) (c) 4., 5.05 (16), 5.05 (17), 11.01 (4m), 12.01 (2), 13.62

1(5m), 15.06 (1) (d), 15.06 (1) (e), 15.06 (2) (b), 15.06 (3) (a) 5., 15.06 (3) (a) 6., 15.06
2(10), 15.61 (title), 15.61 (1) (a) 1. to 6., 15.61 (5), 15.62, 19.42 (4p), 19.42 (10) (a),
319.46 (2), 19.47 (title), 19.47 (1), (2) and (4) to (10), 19.49, 19.50, 19.55 (3), 19.55
4(4), 19.552, 19.554, 19.58 (4), 20.510 (intro.) and (1) (title), 20.510 (1) (br), 20.521
5(intro.) and (1), 230.08 (2) (eL) and 230.08 (2) (et) of the statutes; relating to:
6reorganizing the Government Accountability Board, requiring the exercise of
7rule-making authority, and making appropriations.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill makes the following changes to the structure and operation of the
Government Accountability Board (GAB):
Board Governance
Currently, the GAB is under the direction and supervision of a board of six
members. All six members are former judges appointed by the governor from
nominations submitted by a committee comprised of one court of appeals judge from
each court of appeals district. Currently, board members are appointed with the
advice and consent of two-thirds of the members of the senate and serve six-year
terms. One term expires each May 1.
This bill eliminates the GAB and replaces it with an Elections Commission,
which administers and supervises elections, and an Ethics Commission, which
administers and supervises ethics, campaign financing, and lobbying regulation.
Under the bill, the Elections Commission consists of at least six persons, who
serve five-year terms:
1) One individual appointed by the majority leader in the senate;
2) One individual appointed by the minority leader in the senate;
3) One individual appointed by the speaker of the assembly.
4) One individual appointed by the minority leader of the assembly; and
5) Two former municipal or county clerks, selected by the leadership in both
houses and nominated by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate
confirmed.
In addition, the bill requires the appointment to the Elections Commission of
one member for each political party, other than the two major political parties,
qualifying for a separate ballot whose candidate for governor received at least 10
percent of the vote in the most recent gubernatorial election. The individual must
be nominated by the governor from a list of three individuals selected by the chief
officer of that political party.
The Ethics Commission consists of at least six persons who serve five-year
terms:
1) One individual appointed by the majority leader in the senate;

2) One individual appointed by the minority leader in the senate;
3) One individual appointed by the speaker of the assembly;