Politics is like making sausage

It has been said politics is like making sausages. You don’t want to see how it is done, even if you like the final outcome. That is evident as the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate vote on a new state budget proposal. There is a lot of horse-trading going on, a lot of backs looking to be scratched. For example, the state budget was in danger of not passing the state Assembly until lawmakers added a provision seemingly unrelated to the budget. That provision makes it easier for the automaker Tesla to sell cars in Wisconsin. The measure will allow Tesla to sell its electric cars directly to consumers, rather than through a dealership. That late addition to the budget, which has nothing to so with the budget, should help win over support from State Senator Chris Kopenga. He owns a business that sells Tesla parts and rebuilt Teslas. And perhaps not coincidentally, the measure was added to the budget after Tesala Motors made more than $28,000 in campaign contributions. Also this week, Governor Evers signed into law a bill that will allow liquor stores to sell unlimited amounts of hard liquor in a single transaction. Previously there was a limit of four liters of hard alcohol at one time. The change came after the liquor store giant Total Wine and more spent more than $270,000 lobbying the state to change the laws. As far as I know, few Wisconsinites were clamoring for these changes, but when it comes to making laws, our elected officials continue to make it clear that money talks. The more you are willing to give, the more they are willing to listen.