GOP legislators target 'loophole' for appointees on expired terms

 This headline is directly from the lead story on the front page of today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel print edition (sorry this is a behind a paywall). And it is something that I wrote about a long while back at Blogging Blue. 

"A handful of Republican lawmakers are proposing to change state law to keep appointees from staying in their jobs beyond the expiration of their terms, a move that comes four years after GOP legislative leaders spent at least $255,000 of taxpayer money to defend the practice.

Currently, state law defines a vacancy in public office as occurring when someone dies, moves, resigns or goes through a formal removal process. Two iterations of the Wisconsin Supreme Court — one controlled by conservatives, one by liberals — have upheld two situations involving appointees staying in their jobs beyond the expiration of their terms based on the definition of "vacancy" in state law. Under Bradley's (Julian Bradley, R-New Berlin) proposed bill, a vacancy in public office is created if the office is filled by appointment for a fixed term and the incumbent’s term expires. "

 I will agree that a gubernatorial appointee should leave their position when their term has elapsed unless reappointed by the incumbent governor. That should be simple enough and commonsense.

But I would like to offer an addendum. The governor has to make a new appointment within 30 days of the vacancy if not before the term expires and the legislature must approve or disapprove the candidate within 30 days after the new appointment is made. Don't allow another loophole to exist that would allow a governor or legislature to leave an appointed position open for political theater. There is a reason these positions exist and the residents of Wisconsin deserve to have them all filled in a reasonable amount of time.