WMC Watch Report

The WMC Scorecard: Roll Call of Corporate Sycophants

At the end of every legislative session, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce releases its highly-anticipated scorecard. “Highly anticipated,” because it offers the public a barometer of the power of the state’s largest corporate lobby. The following report from One Wisconsin Now’s WMC Watch is compiled from the two most recent legislative sessions, the four-year period from 2005-08.

This report provides a sampling of the legislation elected officials were required to both support and oppose. In addition, a comprehensive grid of the top supporters of WMC’s agenda is included.

2005-06 Legislative Session

In the 2005-06 session, the Republican-controlled 33-member state Senate and the Republican-controlled 98-member state Assembly had a total of 74 legislators (over 56 percent), who scored 80 percent or higher on WMC’s scorecard. This included 19 members scored 100 percent on the WMC scorecard – showing absolute obedience to the WMC corporate agenda.

All 74 legislators scoring over 80 percent were Republicans. With 74 of 78 Republican Senators and Assembly members scoring 80 percent or higher, this means 95 percent of legislative Republicans in the 2005-06 session scored 80 percent or higher in serving the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce pro-corporate, anti-worker agenda.

None of the 53 elected Democratic state Senators or Assembly members scored as high as or higher than any Republican.

2007-08 Legislative Session

In the 2007-08 legislative session, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce had a new wrinkle in its efforts to consolidate corporate power under legislative fiat: Democrats controlled the state Senate, having ousted three incumbent Republicans and won a fourth race in a seat previously held by a Republican who retired. With obedient Assembly Republicans still controlling on chamber of the legislature, would WMC still have a receptive audience to its corporate agenda?

The number of legislators in 2007-08 who gave WMC 100 percent support grew to 32 –an increase of nearly 70 percent. All 51 Republican members of the state Assembly had WMC scores of 90 percent or higher. Every single Assembly Republican did what WMC wanted nine out of ten times– or more. Twelve members of the Democratic-controlled state Senate received an 80 percent or higher score from WMC. Included in these 12 Republican senators were four who received a 100 percent score.

Sixty-three of the scored 130 state Senators and Assembly members received an 80 percent or higher score. Sixty-three of 65 legislative Republicans in 2007-08 scored 80 percent or more – 97 percent.

None of the 65 elected Democratic state Senators or Assembly members scored as high as or higher than any Republican.

All 74 legislators scoring over 80 percent were Republicans. With 74 of 78 Republican Senators and Assembly members scoring 80 percent or higher, this means 95 percent of legislative Republicans in the 2005-06 session scored 80 percent or higher in serving the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce pro-corporate, anti-worker agenda.

None of the 53 elected Democratic state Senators or Assembly members scored as high as or higher than any Republican.

What Bills Did WMC Consider its Legislative Priorities?

Here is a partial list of the pro-corporate legislation WMC supported appearing on the Senate or Assembly scorecards:

2005 SB 58: Makes it significantly more difficult for individuals to claim any damages against a seller, distributor or manufacturer for defective products.

2005 AB 58 & 2005 AJR 77, SSA 1: Removes local control of municipalities and would require cuts to critical community services like police, firefighters, snow removal, road maintenance and garbage pick-up by instituting an arbitrary property tax freeze.

2005 SB 425: Eliminates the authority of the Attorney General to protect private citizens from powerful special interests or individuals causing public nuisances.

2005 AB 4: Creates a $50 million (through FY13) tax break for private Health Savings Accounts, which keeps insurance company profits high and benefits the wealthy users of HSAs, while doing nothing to reduce health care costs nor increase access to health care.

2007 SB 3: Excludes income from Wisconsin business from being taxes (Cost to Wisconsin taxpayers: $106 - $159 million in 2007).

Legislators also scored high for opposing bills that would introduce higher standards for corporate accountability such as:

2007 AB 204: Prohibits advertising for prescription drugs.

2007 AB 157: Sets a statewide greenhouse gas emission limit.

2007 SB 210: Closing the "Las Vegas Loophole," which allows corporations to avoid paying Wisconsin taxes.

2007 SB 367: Requiring corporations to submit annual financial statements to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue and pay their fair share in income taxes.