Here & Now

Attorney General Files Natural Resources Board Lawsuit

Zac Schultz:

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul announced this week he has filed a lawsuit seeking to remove the chair of the National Resources board. As we’ve reported, Fred Prehn was appointed to the board by former governor Scott Walker. His term expired in May but he refused to step down saying he was able to stay on until the state Senate confirmed his replacement’s appointment. However Republicans in the Senate have refused to schedule a hearing on Governor Evers’ nominee, which gives Prehn the chance to stay on the board indefinitely and maintains the Republican appointee control of the board. A second Walker appointee whose term expired in May did step down from the board. The issue came to a head in the last meeting when conservatives on the board authorized a wolf hunt this fall with the harvest number nearly double what DNR wildlife officials recommended. We have asked Fred Prehn and Senate Republicans to talk about their decisions but they’ve declined our interview requests. However, Republican legislative leaders are planning to hire outside lawyers to intervene in the attorney general’s lawsuit.