WMC History
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) traces its roots back to the founding of the Wisconsin Manufactures Association in 1911. WMC’s current form emerged in 1975 through the merger of the Wisconsin Manufacturers Association, the State Chamber of Commerce (incorporated in 1929) and the Wisconsin Council of Safety (founded in 1923). WMC is the only state business association with the Chamber, Manufacturers Association and Safety Council in a single merged association. As the state’s largest business lobby, WMC has lobbied the Wisconsin state government for years, pushing for legislation and policies that benefit corporate interests.
In 1996, WMC came under fire for running “issue ads” targeting State Senate Democrats, which at the time were testing the limits of campaign finance regulations in regards to independent expenditures and the definition of “express advocacy.” Although the State Elections Board initially ordered WMC to stop running its ads, WMC sued in response citing free speech infringement. Three years later, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in WMC’s favor, while leaving the option open for future legislation to regulate issue ads. Subsequent court rulings over the McCain-Feingold Act and the Wisconsin Right to Life case have further defined constitutional regulations of independent expenditures, primarily concerning bills that would force full disclosure of funding sources for issue ads. Currently, WMC is not subject to disclosure requirements for its issue ads.
In recent election cycles, WMC has stepped up their purchases of issue ads, with unprecedented expenditures focusing on the Wisconsin Supreme Court races. In 2007, WMC spent more than $2 million in support of Annette Ziegler at the same time attacking Ziegler’s opponent, Linda Clifford. Annette Ziegler went on to win the election, and WMC is already running advertisements in another expensive issue ad campaign opposing incumbent Justice Louis Butler.
Today, WMC represents nearly 4,000 Wisconsin businesses employing more than 500,000 Wisconsin workers. Within the organization, WMC employs approximately 40 staff members and has a 48-member Board of Directors representing many different businesses around the state.
[Source: Capital Times; WMC.org; Wisconsin Council on Safety; Business Journal Weekly]