Assembly Democrats in Panic Mode

by RPW Communications

What the Assembly Democrats really want is to bury the story about their Speaker and whether his personal relationship may have affected public policy.

MADISON – Assembly Democrats are rushing through hastily-crafted legislation they devised behind closed doors in order to squeeze out headlines about their Speaker. A bill regulating Wisconsin’s payday loan industry passed out of committee today on a party line vote while technical questions lingered and after Republican committee members and the public had little time to review the Democrat-negotiated proposal.

“What we’re seeing is more shady, backroom deals cut by Democrats who want to trick the public into believing they’ve got their best interests at heart,” according to Mark Jefferson, Executive Director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. “What the Assembly Democrats really want is to bury the story about their Speaker and whether his personal relationship may have affected public policy.”

Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan has admitted to dating a payday loan lobbyist but insists that his reversal on capping payday loan interest rates had nothing to do with it. Rumors have been swirling for weeks that Assembly Democrats are ready to replace the Speaker, but it appears the caucus will stand behind the decisions of their leader.

"Sheridan and the Assembly Democrats who are sticking by him seem to want to bury this story, and they’re not afraid to jam through hastily-crafted legislation to do it,” Jefferson said. “Democrats see these headlines about their Speaker too, but instead of proceeding with caution, they are in panic mode trying to jam through legislation they crafted behind closed doors with little public input in an attempt to save face.”