Assembly passes bill that would dissolve nonpartisan elections board

MADISON — The state Assembly has passed a bill dissolving Wisconsin's unique nonpartisan board regulating elections, campaign finance, lobbying and ethics laws.

The bill passed Wednesday, October 21st now heads to the Senate, where Republican Sen. Luther Olsen says there are not enough votes to approve it in its current form.

The proposal would replace the six nonpartisan judges on the Government Accountability Board with an equal number of Republican and Democratic appointees.

Democrats say the move will weaken regulation, lead to corruption and increase the chances of corruption.

Republicans say the current board is nonpartisan in name only and is a failed experiment.

The Assembly passed the bill 58-39.