The Senate voted 18-15 along party lines to approve 82 of Gov. Scott Walker’s appointments, including DOA Secretary Ellen Nowak returning to the Public Service Commission as chair.
The other appointments included attorney Scott Beightol to the UW Board of Regents. He replaces Republican Bryan Steil, who won a seat in Congress last month.
Dems objected to the appointments, saying many hadn’t received a public hearing or submitted a statement of economic interest. That, Dems argued, meant the votes were premature.
But Republicans pushed through the appointment on party lines even as Gov.-elect Tony Evers urged Walker to withdraw 50 appointments submitted yesterday to the Senate, saying they hadn’t been properly vetted.
“Recognizing the important role these individuals play in affecting the lives of the people of this great state, these appointments should not be jammed through without transparency and time for full consideration by the people of Wisconsin and the State Legislature,” Evers wrote in a letter to Walker.
Walker’s office didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
