WXOW News 19 La Crosse, WI – News, Weather and Sports |Sheridan says dating lobbyist separate from payday loan bill
MADISON (WKOW) -- In an interview with WKOW27 News, Assembly speaker Mike Sheridan (D-Janesville) said his dating of a lobbyist with a payday loan company has no impact on his consideration of a proposal to cap loan interest rates and impose other rules on the payday industry.
"I would never do anything that would impact the work I do in the state assembly."
A source close to the situation told WKOW27 News Sheridan has dated Shanna Wycoff, 31, manager of government affairs for Cincinnati-based Check'N Go. Wycoff is registered to lobby in Wisconsin for Axcess Financial, a firm which sells pre-paid debit cards at Check'N Go locations.
Sheridan refused to comment on his relationship with Wycoff. Sheridan said he told democratic assembly colleagues that he had "gone out on dates with different people, including one who was a lobbyist."
Wycoff did not return a phone call from WKOW27 News seeking comment.
Sheridan, 51, is married with three children, but filed for divorce from his wife Sarah Sheridan in October 2009.
State ethics law prohibits lawmakers from accepting anything of value from a lobbyist, unless the lobbyist is a relative, fiancee, or a member of the lawmaker's household.
Sheridan told WKOW27 News he had accepted no gifts from a payday loan lobbyist.
When asked if he would exclude Wycoff from any future discussions with payday loan representatives of proposed changes in industry regulation, Sheridan deflected the question. "My personal life never impacts the decisions that I make."
Executive director Mike McCabe of the government watchdog group Wisconsin Democracy Campaign questioned whether Sheridan's admitted dating relationship with an industry lobbyist has created the appearance of a conflict of interest as Sheridan considers pending legislation affecting payday loans.
"The public looks at how the payday loan legislation is handled and the fact that it's been a better part of a (legislative) session and the bill's not come to a vote and it's laying there dormant. Citizens can't help but see these relationships between lobbyists and legislators and think, 'That's why.' "
McCabe said lawmakers have become more lax in applying personal standards to remove even the appearance of impropriety when it comes to the influence of special interests on lawmaking.
Last fall, Sheridan said a proposal to cap interest rates on pay day loans at 36% could kill the industry and cost jobs.
But Sheridan said in the interview with WKOW27 News a working group of lawmakers including Rep. Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) were developing compromise legislation to put controls on the practices of pay day loan companies. Hintz was unavailable for comment to 27 News.
"People in the state cannot afford to let these bad actors go on," Sheridan told WKOW27 News. "It's important to get this done, and that's my number one goal."
Wisconsin had over 500 licensed pay day lenders in 2008, up from approximately 200 in 2003. Wisconsin is the only state that does not set a rate cap for lenders.
Sheridan said payday loan lobbyists were behind a failed attempt last week to muster the necessary political support to depose Sheridan as assembly speaker. Sheridan said while he informed colleagues of his personal situation during a closed meeting, no vote was taken on his status as the assembly's leader.
