MADISON (WKOW) -- Republicans on a party-line vote Friday approved hiring outside lawyers with taxpayer money to defend the chair of the Natural Resources Board who's refused to step down following the end of his term.
The Joint Committee on Legislative Organization voted 6-4 to intervene in the lawsuit brought by Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul, which seeks to remove Fred Prehn from the board.
Prehn, who was appointed by former Governor Scott Walker, has refused to leave his post since his term ended May 1. He has said that until the GOP-controlled Senate holds a confirmation hearing for Sandra Naas, who is Evers's appointment to replace him, he should remain the chair.
Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) said Friday Republican leaders were ignoring the will of voters to elect Evers in 2018 by refusing to hold confirmation hearings on his appointments.
As of Friday, 157 Evers appointees, including Naas, were still awaiting confirmation.
"Just because the Republicans don't agree with those appointments doesn't mean that they should be dragging an anchor behind them and preventing people from taking seat into those positions," Agard said.
Republicans argued it was Evers who was in the wrong by trying to replace Walker appointments, referring to a legal fightstemming from the lame-duck sessionGOP leaders called after Evers defeated Walker in 2018.
"The actions taken by the State Senate are within our legal authority, and there’s precedent for them," said Sen. Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield). "Unlike Governor Evers, when he first took office and illegally attempted to remove people from their appointed positions.”
Agard said while she didn't like the idea of the courts having to decide who should lead the Natural Resources Board, whichearlier this monthhad a controversial vote on wolf-killing limits, she believed it was Democrats' only resort.
"The attorney general would certainly not have to take action if my colleagues in the legislature, the majority party, would allow us to have public hearings on the confirmations on the appointments that were made by the governor," Agard said.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) said in a statement, the vote to hire private lawyers was not necessarily about defending Prehn; rather, LeMahieu said it was about upholding senate confirmation as a way for new appointees to take their seats.
"The advice and consent of the Senate is a duty we take seriously," the statement read. "We will not allow the people’s voice in the appointment process to be eroded.”
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