Profile Page

District #29 - Russell Decker (D)

Wisconsin State Senator

Incumbent	Incumbent Web Page	Personal Web Page	Who funds the incumbent?
Russell Decker (D)	Russell Decker	None	Follow the Money

See the State Elections Board and new candidates HERE

On the issues - 2008 (See the legislator's 2006/2007 positions on health care, ethics and campaign reform below)

A+ - Public funding of judicial campaigns

(SB171) Incumbent voted FOR passage of public funding of campaigns for judges. In a recent study by Citizen Action, in 75% of the cases reaching the Supreme Court level there was a campaign contributor on one side or the other. Campaigns for judges are being financed by attorneys and business leaders. How's that for justice? ALL Supreme Court Judges came out in support of this bill. 2/19/08 Sequence No. 200

On the issues - 2007 (See the legislator's 2006 position on health care, ethics and campaign reform below)

A+ Healthy Wisconsin

Incumbent SUPPORTED the Healthy Wisconsin amendment to the state budget. All Democrats voted for it and all Republicans voted against it. Healthy Wisconsin was opposed by the insurance industry and business associations (though not the business members themselves). For more on the benefits of Healthy Wisconsin see Sen. Joe Leean's article HERE

B - Ethics Reform

(SB1) Incumbent voted to pass an Ethics Reform bill in 2007, but voted to block it in 2006.

Many politicians refuse to answer the questions in the Project Vote-Smart solicitation because they don't want voters knowing where they stand on the issues! They like being able to fudge and evade when being asked about an issue, and having it on record and posted on the web is the last thing they want. Especially when it can be compared to their voting record while in session.

Project Vote-Smart Rating

INCUMBENT REPEATEDLY REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY RESPONSES TO CITIZENS ON ISSUES THROUGH THE 2004 NATIONAL POLITICAL AWARENESS TEST

Ratings by Interest Groups: http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=BS021352

Votes by Category:

Wisconsin Conservation Voters

Rated Incumbent at 100% acceptance

Conservation Scorecard on your state senator at:
http://www.conservationvoters.org/Public/scorecards/sc05-06.pdf
(Newly elected members will not be listed yet.)

Vote Tracker -- SB1 Ethics Bill
http://www.conservationvoters.org/Public/voteTracker.php?billID=47
(Includes 2007 session)

Past Scorecards:
2003-2004 http://www.conservationvoters.org/Public/scorecards/sc03-04.pdf
2001-2002 http://www.conservationvoters.org/Public/scorecards/sc01-02.pdf

2006 record below

_________________________________________________

Who won the Fall 2006 Government Ethics Voter Guide Questionnaire distributed by League of Women Voters, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and Common Cause? See all survey questions at the WDC web site. (I) = Incumbent

(Many of those who did not reply simply do not want to go on record as supporting reforms they know they will vote against, and do not want to be held to their word. Others will say Yes and not mean it, or will vote as dictated by their party. It is up to constituents to hold their representatives to their word.)

Senate, District 29	Question 1	Question 2	Question 3	Question 4	Question 5	Question 6
Russ Decker (Democrat) (I)	No Reply	No Reply	No Reply	No Reply	No Reply	No Reply

On the issues

B - Universal Health Care

Incumbent has been supportive of changes in health care policy, but not universal health care. Supports the AFL-CIO plan.

F - Campaign Finance Reform

Incumbent has done nothing to move campaign reform forward.

F - Ethics Reform

Incumbent voted to BLOCK an Ethics Reform bill (SB1).

Your representative voted AGAINST this no-brainer. Those voting against SB1 like things just as they are, requiring virtually zero accountability on the part of politicians.

Incumbent's record on Ethics Reform: Bad

Bill - SB1 (11/1/05 Sequence 239)

The Issue

How Senate Voted

Your Representative

Senate Bill 1 - Establish a Government Accountability Board

Introduced by Mike Ellis (R) in the Senate and
Terri McCormick (R) in the Assembly

It was killed by the Assembly Republicans.

This was a vote on whether to bring the ethics bill to the floor and allow a complete up-or-down vote. By voting against an open floor vote the assembly legislators effectively killed the bill and did not have to go on record as officially opposing ethics reform.

Proponents claim: This bill would establish an independent ethics commission to oversee the state legislature and governor.

See www.wisdc.org

Passed by a vote of 28 to 5

Voting for reform:

R = 16

D = 12

Voting to block reform:

R = 3

D = 2*

See entire assembly roll call vote here and the senate roll call here.

Opponents claim: It is too intrusive, requiring the disclosure of personal finances.

(Isn't that what ethics is all about? How can they legitimately vote on an issue without disclosing any conflicts of interest?)

* Incumbent voted Against bringing SB1 to the floor for a vote (this was NOT the vote preferred by the reform community)

(was one of five voting against the bill)

Republicans voting against reform were Grothman, Lasee and Reynolds, Democrats voting against reform were Decker and Taylor