The Wisconsin legislature recently passed bills to allow dramatically increased campaign contributions (“campaign finance reform”) and to dismantle the Government Accountability Board in the face of overwhelming public objection.

Retiree Sheila Plotkin of McFarland, Wis., sent open records requests to Republican state senators and assemblymen to tally public input that each had received prior to voting.  In total, 817 people (99 percent of those who contacted their legislators) were opposed to campaign finance reform while only nine (one percent) were in favor.  Republican legislators nevertheless voted overwhelmingly in favor of the bill.

With regard to dismantling the GAB, 1,501 constituents (90 percent of those commenting) urged their legislators NOT to dismantle the GAB, while only 173 (ten percent) were in favor.  Republicans nevertheless voted to dismantle the GAB.

So who are the Republicans representing?   To paraphrase an advertising slogan from the 1960s, Republicans have apparently decided that things go better with Koch.

To check the input that your legislator received and compare it with their vote, check out Plotkin’s web site at we-the-irrelevant.org.