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| 2/26/2010 9:00:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Assembly fails to override governor's veto
DNR secretarywill still be appointed by governor
The Wisconsin Legislature fell short Tuesday in its attempt to override Gov. James Doyle's veto of Assembly Bill 138.
The override would have transferred authority to appoint the secretary of the DNR back to the Natural Resources Board had it been overridden by the Senate as well.
The vote was 58-38, just six votes short of the 64 needed for a two-thirds majority to override the veto.
The secretary position, since 1928, had been appointed by the DNR's governing body, the NRB. In 1995, Gov. Tommy Thompson changed the DNR secretary's role to a governor-appointed cabinet position. Since then, there have been several efforts to restore the authority to the NRB, and many advocates of the bill thought this year presented the best chance.
Tuesday's vote was a major loss for supporters of a board-appointed secretary, which include conservation and environmental groups, hunters and trappers, who have said the DNR has endured too much political influence under a governor-appointed secretary, and that recent secretaries have had too little conservation experience and a high turnover.
Those who support a governor-appointed secretary say the DNR needs to be held accountable.
"Under the leadership of an appointed secretary, in the last seven years we have made the most significant environmental achievements in a generation. We have also taken the most effective steps to streamline regulations, while maintaining the highest environmental standards," Doyle said in a prepared statement Tuesday.
Nearly 200 citizens wanting a "yes" vote attended the Capitol Tuesday, donning blaze orange and carrying signs in support of the override.
The Assembly and Senate each passed the bill in September and November, and it looked like the secretary position was on its way back to becoming board-appointed.
Doyle, who initially said he favored the bill, changed his mind last year and vetoed the bill Nov. 13.
Historically, the Assembly tends to uphold governor vetoes and has not succeeded in a veto override in Wisconsin since 1985.
Wisconsin Wildlife Federation executive director George Meyer, one of the override's strongest supporters said the blame in the override failure lies first with the governor's veto.
"A two-thirds majority was required (for the override to pass) because of Doyle's reversal of his 14-year support for the board appointment. Doyle had repeatedly indicated such support to sports groups and individuals when he ran for elections," Meyer said in a press release from the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation Wednesday.
Meyer also said last-minute lobbying by big money interests such as the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, Wisconsin Builders Association, the Wisconsin Realtors Association and the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, was a major contributing factor to the override's failure.
Rep. Dan Meyer, R-Eagle River, voted in support of the override.
Rep. Donald Friske, R-Merrill, voted against the override.
"For sportsmen and women of Wisconsin, this issue is of the highest priority," Meyer said Wednesday. "It is not going to go away for any conservationist in this state."
Julie Wroblewski can be reached at jwroblewski@lakelandtimes.com.
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