forward. Reporting from Watertown. I'm Aditi Debnath for
"Here& Now". Commission is wrapping up the
final details of the 2024 election. And as we head into
next year, one large question hovers over the commission. Will
its administrator, Meagan Wolfe, be allowed to remain in her
position? The answer will be provided by the Wisconsin
Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments this week on a lawsuit
that seeks to force her out. “Here& Now” senior political
reporter Zach Schultz explains the twists and turns of the
situation. year appointment as
administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission ended in
June of 2023. Her appointment to another four year term would
require Senate approval. At the time, the Republican majority in
the Senate were still playing up Donald Trump's 2020 election
conspiracies and wanted the six member Wisconsin Elections
Commission to nominate her again so they could reject her,
essentially firing Wolfe and forcing the commission to
nominate a new administrator. While the three Republican
appointees to the commission voted to advance Wolfe's
nomination, the three Democrats did not vote, saying without a
majority, Wolfe's nomination was not officially sent to the
Senate and therefore she could not be rejected. After a
lawsuit, Wolfe was allowed to keep her job as a legal holdover
thanks to a recent decision when the Supreme Court was controlled
by conservatives and they ruled Fred Prehn, nominated to the DNR
board by former Republican Governor Scott Walker, could
stay on the board past the end of his six year term as long as
the Senate refused to approve his successor, who was nominated
by Democratic Governor Tony Evers. All rise before the
Supreme Court, lawyers for Democratic Attorney General Josh
Kaul argued, because a majority of the commission could remove
the administrator at any time, there was no requirement to
renominate. After the four year term is up. While lawyers for
the Republican legislature argued that could mean the
administrator stays on of us sat in this courtroom two
years ago when your client, your client, insisted that Fred Prehn
should be able to retain his position on the DNR board, even
though his six year term had expired.
a case of careful what you wish for, isn't it?
nominated, was appointed by the by the commission, and sent over
to the Senate and the Senate acted the same way they did with
Prehn, which is not hold hearings. Then Meagan Wolfe
would stay as a holdover exactly like Prehn did.
>> Meagan, Wolfe and WECA issued a statement this week saying she
serves at the will of the commissioners, who voiced
unanimous support for her in their vote last June. Reporting