Assembly Fails to Override Governor's Veto of DNR Secretary Bill
The Assembly Democrats, joined by a handful of Republicans, failed to garner the two-thirds vote needed to override the Governor's veto of Assembly Bill 138, which would have removed the Governor's authority to appoint the Department of Natural Resources secretary and handed the authority to the unelected Natural Resources Board members.
The bill passed both the Senate and Assembly last year, but was subsequently vetoed by Gov. Jim Doyle. A veto override requires a two-thirds vote in both the Assembly (66) and the Senate (22). The Assembly vote was 59-39 (counting pairs) with 48 Democrats and 11 Republicans voting to override the veto and four Democrats, 34 Republicans, and one Independent voting to sustain the veto.
Proponents of AB 138, which include environmental and sportsmen groups, argued that allowing the Natural Resources Board authority to appoint the DNR secretary (instead of the Governor) removes the political nature of decision making within the agency.
Opponents of the bill include Gov. Jim Doyle, current DNR Secretary Matt Frank, and business groups. They argued that removing the DNR secretary from a cabinet level position would leave DNR unaccountable and allow unelected bureaucrats to essentially run the massive state agency. Gov. Doyle in his veto message noted that the DNR Secretary is "an integral part of a Governor's Cabinet, playing a regular and key role in interagency projects," and that a secretary appointed by the Governor "ensures a direct line of accountability for citizens concerned about the natural resources policy" of this state.
The Wisconsin State Employees Union was "FOR" the legislative bill.
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