Wisconsin governor candidates unveil transparency, accountability plans

Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany unveiled a taxpayer accountability plan Friday, including additional state government audits and transparency measures after opponent David Crowley announced his own anti-corruption plan including bans on government officials stock trading and using inside information on prediction markets earlier in the week.

Tiffany said that he would add more state auditors and look to identify waste, fraud and government duplication along with making OpenBook Wisconsin more accessible for taxpayers and create public agency dashboards to show where taxpayer funds are being spent.

“Wisconsin taxpayers work hard for every dollar they earn. Government should work just as hard to earn their trust,” Tiffany said at an event in Eau Claire County. “State government needs to prove it is using the money it already has responsibly. As governor, we are going to bring more transparency, better results, and less waste to state government.”

Crowley’s plan includes a limit on stock trading for public officials, a ban on state utilities and energy companies hiring elected officials or Public Service Commission board members for two years after the individual leaves office and a ban on public officials using prediction markets.

“State elected officials—whether they be governors, legislators, or regulators—are there to do public service, not sit in public office,” Crowley said while announcing his plan on Monday. “They are there to use their offices to help people. What it should not be is a vehicle to get rich by gaming the system.

“We see that running rampant in Washington right now, while Wisconsinites are facing higher costs on everything from gas to groceries to healthcare. While we suffer, they profit.”

Crowley commented on prediction markets in the state. Currently, companies such as DraftKings and Fanatics do not offer sports event contracts in the state and Kalshi is being sued by the Ho-Chunk Nation for operating in the state.

Gov. Tony Evers is currently negotiating new compacts with the state’s tribes related to online sports wagering across the state after a bill allowed the expansion of mobile sports wagering in Wisconsin. Under the law, the tribes could offer mobile sports wagering anywhere in Wisconsin once compacts are approved by Evers and then federal officials.

“Prediction markets should be used for things like sports, not profiting off of our politics,” Crowley reportedly said on Monday.