Legislators React to Ellis' Retirement

 MADISON -- State Senator Mike Ellis (R-Neenah) is giving up on a re-election campaign and retiring.

In a statement Friday, Ellis said. \"I'm a senator from a different era, and I value my integrity too much to compromise it anymore.\"

and \"Forty-four years is long enough, and as the Beach Boys sang \"I just wasn't made for these times.\"

            Friday's announcement comes days after videos captured Ellis talking about creating an illegal group to attack his opponent in November’s election.

\"Anything that's happened in Wisconsin in the last 40 years has his imprint on it.\" said Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause in Wisconsin.

            Heck worked with the now retiring state senator for almost two decades, trying to keep special interest groups out of state politics.

\"It's something Senator Ellis said he didn't know, but having worked in this field for many year I found that a little difficult to swallow, or even a little difficult to believe.\" Heck said.

            Senate Minority Leader Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) says the senate may be better off without Ellis.

“I think it will be better to have somebody who will actually represent the people. Somebody who's not interested in the pay to play politics and somebody who's not interested in just trying to tear apart their opponent.\" Larson said.

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