MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republicans who control the state Senate on Tuesday fired eight more of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ appointees, including two Wisconsin university regents who voted against a deal limiting campus diversity and four judicial monitors , who would not commit to punishing liberal state Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz.
The Senate also fired a member of the governor’s domestic violence panel after Republicans accused the body of violating open records laws and taking what the GOP sees as an anti-white stance, as well as a member of the deferred compensation board that administers state retirement program.
The Senate has now fired 21 Evers appointees since the governor took office in 2019. The governor said in a statement Tuesday that he is “upset” that Republican senators continue to fire his appointees without good reason.
“Clearly, this is about Wisconsin Republicans exacting their political punishment and retribution on Wisconsinites who have volunteered their time, expertise and experience to serve our neighbors and our state,” Evers said.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu issued a statement Tuesday saying the Senate has confirmed more than 500 of Evers’ appointments.
“The Senate takes seriously its role in the advice and consent process,” he said. “Appointees must demonstrate that they are qualified, capable and will comply with the law in their employment capacity.”
The Senate voted to reject the confirmation of Regents John Miller and Dana Wax. They voted twice in December against a plan brokered by UW officials with Assembly Speaker Robin Voss that calls on the regents to freeze hiring for diversity positions through 2026 and move at least 43 diversity positions to focus on “ student success’. In exchange, lawmakers agreed to allocate money to cover UW staff raises and building projects around the system.
Senate President Chris Kapenga threatened on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that unconfirmed regents would be disqualified if they voted against the deal.
“For the life of me, I can’t figure out what’s wrong with wanting everyone to feel welcome (and) included,” Democratic Sen. LaTonya Johnson, who is black, said Tuesday on the Senate floor.
Wachs said in a telephone interview that he is frustrated by how petty politics has become in Madison. He said he is considering running for the Assembly again to change the tone. Wax, an Eau Claire attorney, previously served three terms in the Assembly and made an unsuccessful bid for governor in 2018.
Miller said in an email that he voted to protect diversity on campus and the deal set a precedent for future lawmakers to withhold funding from the UW in exchange for “their next pound of flesh.”
“What next?” Miller wrote. “Legislative Approval of Curricula? What books are on the library shelf?’
Evers announced after the vote that he had appointed attorney Haben Goitom and Amy Trainor, a Mondovi charter school teacher, to replace them.
The Senate also voted to deny confirmation of Wisconsin Judiciary Committee members Yulonda Anderson, Jane Foley, Janet Jenkins and Judy Ziewach.
The commission investigates and prosecutes allegations of misconduct against judges. Republicans became upset last year after the four did not say how they would handle appeals against Protasiewicz and the rest of the liberal majority on the state Supreme Court.
Protasiewicz drew the ire of Republicans when he announced on the campaign trail that he supported abortion rights and called GOP-drawn legislative districts “rigged.”
Republican Sen. Van Vangaard, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said it became clear after confirmation hearings last year that the four commissioners did not understand their duties and powers. Democratic Sen. Kelda Royce countered that the hearings were designed to improperly force appointees to make preliminary assessments about potential complaints from Protasiewicz.
Evers announced that he had appointed Barbara Notestein, Roberta Gassman, Analise Eicher and John Hendricks to replace the ousted commissioners.
Mildred Gonzalez lost her seat on the governor’s domestic violence council after the Senate voted to reject her confirmation. Democrats repeatedly asked Republicans in the chamber what Gonzalez had done, but no one answered.
Republicans previously accused the council of failing to notice the meetings as required by state law. Brian Radday, a spokesman for Majority Leader LeMahieu, pointed to a council handbook Tuesday that says white people cannot be full allies in the fight against domestic violence.
Gonzalez did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Evers appointed Elizabeth Lucas, director of the Office of Victim Services at the state Department of Corrections, to replace Gonzalez.
The Senate also rejected confirmation of Terrance Craney, a member of the Deferred Compensation Board. The board administers an optional retirement savings plan for state employees.
It’s not clear why Republicans found fault with Craney. The Senate voted without debate, and Radday did not respond when asked about it. No one immediately responded to emails sent to aides to Sen. Rob Hutton, chairman of the Senate Universities Committee, which voted to recommend rejection.
Craney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Evers tapped retired financial consultant Timothy Graham to replace him.
