Senate fires 8 Democratic appointees, including 2 UW Regents

The GOP-controlled state Senate fired eight Democratic appointees Tuesday, including two members of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents who voted against a controversial deal limiting campus diversity positions in exchange for state funding.

The Senate has rejected 21 nominations since 2019. From 1981 through 2018, the chamber rejected four appointees, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau.

Gov. Tony Evers slammed Republicans for the unprecedented move, calling it petty, partisan politics.

"Republicans have turned a basic duty of government into a political circus, and the ones who pay the price are the people of Wisconsin," he said in a statement.

Among those losing their jobs Tuesday were UW Regents John Miller and Dana Wachs; Wisconsin Judicial Commission members Yulonda Anderson, Jane Foley, Janet Jenkins and Judy Ziewacz; Deferred Compensation Board member Terrance Craney; and Council on Domestic Abuse member Mildred Gonzales.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, defended the rejections, noting nearly 600 of Evers' appointees had been approved.

“The Senate takes its role in the advice and consent process seriously," LeMahieu said in a statement. "Appointments must prove that they are qualified, capable, and that they will follow the law in their capacities."

Judicial Commission appointees rejected

Senate Republicans rejected four of the governor’s five nominees to the Judicial Commission, which investigates allegations of judicial misconduct.

Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, who chairs the committee that considered their appointments, said the rejected nominees displayed a lack of knowledge of the commission’s processes, despite having served on it for years. In many cases, he said, they had also endorsed candidates for judicial offices.

“The former chair didn’t know how meetings were noticed, refused to tell the Senate who the current chair of the Commission was, didn’t know what a walking quorum was, or if the Commission was subject to Open Meetings Laws,” Wanggaard said in a statement. “Others hid behind the Commission’s confidentiality, or used technicalities and questionable methodology to justify decisions they made or will make.”

Before the votes, Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, accused Republicans of acting out of their frustration with the 2023 election of liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz to the state Supreme Court.

Roys said Republican members of the committee appeared to want the nominees to prejudge cases that could come before them.

After the votes, Evers announced that he had appointed Barbara Notestein, Roberta Gassman, Analiese Eicher and John Hendricks to the commission.

For two appointees, no reason offered

Senate Republicans rejected Craney and Gonzales without explanation.

That's despite Democrats requesting LeMahieu and Sen. Jesse James, R-Altoona, who chaired the committee that approved Gonzales in a 5-0 vote last fall, provide the reasons for their failed nominations.

“It’s obvious this is about Wisconsin Republicans exacting their political punishment and retribution on Wisconsinites who’ve volunteered to give their time, expertise, and experience to serve our neighbors and our state. And that is a damn shame,” Evers said in a statement.

UW regents voted against deal on diversity positions, pay raises, building projects

Senate Republicans similarly offered no reason during Tuesday's floor session on why they rejected Miller and Wachs.

Senate Democrats believe the regents' nominations were sunk because of their votes against a deal UW System President Jay Rothman struck with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, late last year to restructure campus diversity positions in exchange for $800 million in building projects and pay raises.

Republican Sen. Robert Cowles, of Green Bay, joined Democrats in supporting the appointments.

Wachs, an Eau Claire attorney, joined the UW Board of Regents in 2022 for a term ending in 2029. He previously served as a Democratic state Assembly representative and launched an unsuccessful bid for governor in 2018.

The Senate's rejection Tuesday may spur Wachs to rejoin the Legislature. He said he's seriously considering a bid in the Assembly.

"It’s really upsetting to see the vengeance that these people have," he said. "I’ve not seen that before at this level. It’s disturbing that these people are in the Legislature."

Only one other UW regent fired since 1981

Firing a UW regent is rare, occurring just once before since 1981. Sheboygan businessman Terry Kohler lost his bid to be on the board in 1991 over comments he made about Democrats, gay people and South African Black people.

Miller said the irony of losing his unpaid appointment for the opposite reason — defending students of color and those in the LGBTQ community — wasn't lost on him. The Milwaukee venture capitalist had been serving unconfirmed for nearly half of his seven-year term ending in 2028.

Miller said the Senate's actions would have a chilling effect on the democratic process.

"It sends a message to future potential volunteers: Why would you spend hundreds of hours of your time serving the public to ultimately have your character and integrity impugned over what was a policy disagreement?" Miller said. "I didn’t rob a bank. I just disagreed with the Legislature. Are their skins so thin they need to fire me instead of having a legitimate debate?"

New UW regents named

Replacing Miller will be Haben Goitom, who serves as legal vice president of Mainspring Energy. She previously worked nearly a decade at Alliant Energy and attended UW-Madison Law School.

Taking over for Wachs will be Amy Traynor, an Anthony Acres School teacher in the Mondovi School District. She earned her bachelor’s degree from UW-Stevens Point and a master's from UW-La Crosse. She was named the 2013 Wisconsin State Middle School Teacher of the Yea.

Contact Kelly Meyerhofer at kmeyerhofer@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at@KellyMeyerhofer. Jessie Opoien can be reached at jessie.opoien@jrn.com. 

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Senate rejects 8 appointees, including 2 UW Regents