State law loophole lets ex-legislator grab plum WMC lobbying job

It's a big story indeed that the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce has hired former Sheboygan GOP State Senator and Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Leibham to lobby his former colleagues less that three months after leaving the Legislature.

Leibham resigned December 1, 2014.

It shows that Republicans doing Scott Walker and the far-right's ideological bidding think they will need the hand of a veteran insider to help steer controversial 'right-to-work' wage-depressing legislation through two legislative chambers they control when the bill is introduced.

But I wish when media report this kind of legislator-to-lobbyist move they would highlight this crucial fact about the revolving door:

Legislators have adopted ethics and lobbying Wisconsin statutory language (Chapter 19.45 (8) that achieves this GAB guideline:

Former State Public Officials (other than a legislator or legislative employee)
SHOULD NOT:	MORE INFORMATION	SHOULD NOT:	MORE INFORMATION
Accept anything of pecuniary value from a lobbyist or from a lobbyist's employee		Communicate with former agency as a paid representative for 12 months after leaving public office Communicate with any agency as a paid representative for 12 months on matters for which formerly responsible Represent any person other than the state in connection with any proceeding, application, contract, claim, or charge in which the individual was personally and substantially involved as a state public official

If Leibham had been deputy secretary of Workforce Development, for example, or an executive at the WEDC or Revenue or Walker's chief of staff he could not have taken this lobbying position for another nine months.

But because he was a legislator, he can sign on and cash in now.

The fall-back excuse offered by legislators for the very valuable perk they wrote for themselves is that their pay is usually less than that of many bureaucrats - - though legislators do get nearly $50,000 in salary, tax-free meals, mileage and lodging payments, and other goodies - - but they have made sure they can jump quickly to better opportunities when they arise.

As did former GOP State Senator Neal Kedzie didn't have to wait a year to go to work for the state truckers last year, and former GOP State Rep. Scott Suder could quickly join the paper manufacturers after Walker pulled his 2013 scandal-tainted appointment to the PSC.

These lobbying positions can be taken immediately after a legislator retires or resigns regardless of how close any legislator was to a special interest that comes a-callin' with a job offer.

And trust me, it is because Leibham was a state legislator that the state's biggest corporate trade association - - with its own multi-level stand-along building a few hundred yards from the State Capitol - - has hired him.