Resorting to political tricks to retain power

It used to be that elections had consequences. That isn’t true so much anymore in Wisconsin, thanks to some dirty political tricks. The efforts to blunt the effects of an election began as soon as Tony Evers was elected Governor. The Republican Legislature held a lame-duck session to strip the new Governor and Attorney General of some of their powers. They went further when they refused to hold confirmation hearings for the Governor’s appointees to state boards and commissions. These boards and commissions have become the hotbed of political trickery designed to allow the duly elected Governor to carry out the will of the people. More than 150 of Evers’ appointees have not gotten as much as a hearing to confirm because those who don’t like their politics have the power to refuse to schedule the hearings. The Governor’s appointee for a seat on the state Natural Resources Board still can’t sit on the board more than a year later because the Senate won’t vote to confirm her, while the man whose seat she should be filling refuses to step down, even though his term has expired. It shouldn’t be this easy for legislators to resort to such political trickery. Lawmakers should set a deadline for confirmation hearings to be held so political appointees can begin their work. Because elections are supposed to have consequences.