A former Oneida County Circuit Judge who resigned last year from the Wisconsin Ethics Commission is the guest speaker Tuesday at the League of Women Voters of the Northwoods meeting.
Reserve Judge Robert Kinney was appointed to the newly-formed Commission, which majority Republicans formed to replace what had been the Government Accountability Board.
The Commission's mission is to enforce governmental ethics laws in Wisconsin. Kinney resigned in December after saying the Commission was not upholding Wisconsin's long tradition of transparent government.
Kinney says one topic will be putting Wisconsin's ethics and campaign finance laws within historical context and how it has changed...
".....I'm going to harken back to the early days of the 20th Century and some of the original proposals made by Robert LaFollette. Then go through the years as to the changes and also the great reputation Wisconsin had, as the result of the changes LaFollette pioneered...."
Kinney says Governor LaFollette was bothered by the rampant corruption in Wisconsin's government, which led to deep reforms. Kinney will address what he saw as the need for institutional problems within the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Judge Kinney will speak Tuesday, March 14 at 6:00p.m. at the Torpy Room of the Minocqua Public Library. The public is invited.
