MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today released a statement regarding the Wisconsin State Senate’s Republican-controlled Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges holding a public hearing and executive session, respectively, on 10 of the governor’s appointees to the University of Wisconsin (UW) Board of Regents.
Republican lawmakers have spent the entirety of Gov. Evers’ two-term tenure to date withholding approval of the governor’s appointees, even going as far as abruptly and arbitrarily firing several executive appointments for virtually no reason other than having been appointed by the Democratic governor.
Republicans’ most recent attempt to use the Senate’s advice and consent process to exact political retribution on Gov. Evers has occurred in recent days in response to the governor’s appointees to the UW Board of Regents unanimously deciding to move on from the previous UW president and begin a search for a new university president after growing dissatisfied with his work performance.
Lawmakers’ decision also comes after years of Republican attacks on higher education in Wisconsin, especially the UW System, which Republicans have regularly threatened and attempted to gut over the last decade-plus. Republican lawmakers, apparently upset by the Regents’ decision over which the Legislature has no control, threatened to fire Regents for taking up a vote to remove the UW System president.
Now that lawmakers have to run for re-election under the fair maps Gov. Evers signed into law several years ago, Republicans might soon see the legislative majorities they have long enjoyed dwindle. Many see the ongoing threats to fire UW Regents as Republicans’ attempt to leverage and flex their political power while they still have it.
The committee vote today is largely symbolic and will have no impact on the confirmation of Gov. Evers’ UW Board of Regents appointees. The vote by the committee today is simply to make a recommendation as to whether the appointments should be confirmed or not.
Gov. Evers, who has long criticized Republicans for abusing their power to undermine basic government functions like the advice and consent process, today released the following statement:
“The UW Board of Regents decided to make a leadership change—nothing more, nothing less.
“Republican lawmakers should resist their temptation to turn this into a political conversation, because it isn’t one. The UW Board of Regents is not supposed to be an extension of any politician or political party. The Regents are responsible for doing what’s best for our UW System, and they should be able to do their jobs without political interference from elected officials.
“If Republicans are going to use this as a pretext to justify firing people just because they were appointed by a Democratic governor, that would be a mistake. It would also seriously jeopardize our continued bipartisan work this session on behalf of the people of our state.
“It’s pretty simple: I trust that the Regents are doing what is best for students, faculty, staff, and our UW System—lawmakers should, too.”
