MADISON - A day after the state Senate denied the confirmation of Wisconsin's elections director, a commission is meeting to consider reappointing him to the job.
The Elections Commission is meeting at the same time Gov. Scott Walker is delivering his "state of the state" speech and taking away some of the attention from issues the GOP governor wants to highlight as he heads into re-election.
Wednesday's meeting comes a day after Republicans in the Senate denied the confirmations of Michael Haas, director of the Elections Commission, and Brian Bell, director of the Ethics Commission. Republicans wanted them gone because they previously worked for the now-disbanded Government Accountability Board, which conducted wide-ranging probes of Republicans.
Mark Thomsen, the chairman of the Elections Commission, said he believed the vote against Haas did not unseat Haas, as Republicans say it did. Thomsen said he wanted to hold a vote Wednesday to make clear Haas is the agency's director, either by reappointing him to the position or simply affirming that he continues to hold it.
“I would certainly hope there would be six votes to continue with Mike Haas as interim administrator," Thomsen said.
Thomsen is a Democrat. The commission consists of three Democrats and three Republicans. The commission has stood united behind Haas, but Republican lawmakers are banking that support to fade for him after Tuesday's vote.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) said he hoped all Republicans on the panel would vote against Haas, leaving the commission in a deadlock.
A 3-3 deadlock would likely spark a new round of debate about Haas' standing, with Republicans saying Haas had been ousted and Thomsen contending he can continue to serve until four or more commissioners say otherwise.
The commission meets at 3 p.m., the same time Walker delivers his speech.
Walker has steadfastly declined to say what he thinks of the imbroglio. In recent days, he has repeatedly declined to say whether he thinks Bell and Haas should be removed.
Nonetheless, his administration has facilitated their departures by sending them letters Wednesday telling them they would no longer hold their jobs as directors. The two have the chance to move into other, lower-ranking jobs in state government.
After Tuesday's vote, Fitzgerald said he next wanted to try to remove two lawyers at the commissions who had worked for the Government Accountability Board. He said he hoped to have the Legislature's budget committee meet this spring to eliminate their jobs.
Separately, the Ethics Commission is expected to meet Thursday. David Halbrooks, the Democratic chairman of that commission, declined to say whether he would consider rehiring Bell to lead that agency.
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