Spotlight on Wisconsin

Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism

It’s hard not to like Glenn Grothman, though some people find a way.

The Republican state senator from West Bend is what legislative insiders call a “true believer.” He’s also a straight shooter. Ask him an honest question, you’ll get an honest answer.

Michael Richards sometimes finds himself telling people, “I’m not your typical lobbyist.” But in fact, that’s exactly what he is.

Richards, the executive director of government relations and external affairs for Gundersen Lutheran Health System of La Crosse, isn’t trying to mislead anyone when he denies being typical. He’s just countering a popular misconception -- that lobbyists are hired guns for well-heeled special interests.

Democrats reacted sharply to Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s decision to call the Legislature into special session to take up a slate of measures meant to put Wisconsin “back to work.”

Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism

Sep 29, 2011 - The other day a journalism professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison asked me if I knew where the Center for Equal Opportunity gets its funding.

It’s a good question.

State legislative aides gave more than $47,000 to legislative campaigns in the 2009-2010 election cycle that culminated last year, according to MapLight. A separate analysis shows that giving by legislative aides that cycle was higher than any time since at least 1993-94.