Wisconsin Senate Republicans Unanimously Vote to Finally End the Nightmare of How Elections Are Administered by Removing Administrator of Elections Meagan Wolfe
Guest post by Jefferson Davis
This article originally appeared at JoeHoft.com and is being published with permission.
Madison – As promised, the Republican Senate Leadership Team and all 22 Senators voted unanimously on September 14th to end the nightmare that has been haunting Wisconsin voters for many years by accepting the September 11th recommendation of the Senate Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection to “not” reappoint the current Administrator of Election for a new 4-year term to end on July 1, 2027, per Wisconsin State Statute 15.61 (click here – Wisconsin Legislature: 15.61). The 11 Senate Democrats voted no on “not” reappointing the Administrator of Elections.
The Democrats have continuously repeated their attempts to conflate and confuse the matter of appointing an Administrator of Elections which is required per Wisconsin State Statute 15.61.
The Democrats will use any means necessary to secure Wisconsin’s 10 Electoral College Votes in 2024 with many of those aspects of securing those electoral college votes already in place. Keeping “their” Administrator of Elections indefinitely in place, while totally disregarding what the law says, is one of the major components of the democrats’ collective effort of securing Wisconsin’s 10 Electoral College Votes.
The Democrats are not going to get away again with the playing of their poorly produced and directed “B-Rated Movie” of attempting to constantly skirt the law when they can’t win at the ballot box or pass legislation and then seek the help of a sympathetic and friendly circuit court judge. Republicans then appeal these horrible lower court decisions and win, only to have Democrats appeal to the Wisconsin Supreme Court with their endless amounts of time, money and resources in hopes of securing legislation from the bench.
Democrats attempt to “win” elections while playing chess with their relentless sophisticated means of cyber, data, AI, algorithms, unlimited funds, boots-on-the-ground paid workers, an army of lawyers, a willing gaggle of press/media, insider information and a sea of public employees as accomplices while it appears Republicans play checkers approaching elections with manual typewriters, white-out, a pad of paper, pencils and rotary phones.
This process is not complicated and appears to only be used by democrats to make sure they have “their” Administrator of Elections in place during the 2024 Presidential Election to garner Wisconsin’s prized 10 Electoral College Votes. No democrat candidate can win the Office of President of the United States if they don’t win Wisconsin’s 10 Electoral College Votes in 2024.
The required implementation of Wisconsin State Statute 15.61, the behavior of the Wisconsin Election Commission, and the consistent following of the law by Senate Republicans have unfolded in chronological order as follows since the end of June 2023 regarding reappointing the current Administrator of Elections for a new 4-year term to end on July 1, 2027:
- The current Administrator of Elections was appointed as the Interim Administrator by the Wisconsin Election Commission in March 2018 and confirmed by the Senate for a 4-year term from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2023, as required by Wisconsin State Statute 15.61 after her predecessor was similarly fired by the Wisconsin Senate (click here – Wisconsin’s Top Election Official Resigns After GOP Votes To Oust Him | HuffPost Latest News).
- The June 27, 2023, Wisconsin Election Commission Agenda had as one of its items of consideration the Appointment of an Interim Administrator and Administrator of Elections to be transmitted to the Senate within 7 days per Wisconsin State Statute 15.61 (click here – Meeting Notice and Agenda_3.pdf (wi.gov)).
- If, as the democrats now say when they abruptly injected their bewildering new position that there is no “vacancy” for the Appointment of the Administrator of Elections, then it has to be a Democrat member of the Wisconsin Election Commission flaunted their disregard of the law when they violated their statutory duty to nominate an Administrator of Elections for a 4-year term expiring on July 1 of the odd-numbered year and submit that nomination to the Senate for confirmation per Statute 15.61 when they abstained from voting at the June 27, 2023, Commission Meeting, just before the end of the current 4-year term (July 1, 2023) for the Administrator of Elections.
- One of the Democrat Commissioners went as far as to say on video at the June 27, 2023, Meeting “…the Commission should not make an appointment unless the Senate “promise[s] to confirm” that nominee, and that absent such a “promise”, the Commission “should not even play this game” of making an appointment.
This Commissioner admits to having to make an appointment as is his required statutory duty but chose to abstain and compared his statutory duties to that of “playing a game”. - The Republican Commissioners (3), realizing they had a statutory duty to nominate someone as Administrator of Elections per Wisconsin State Statute 15.61, voted 3-0 in the majority to renominate the current Administrator of Elections for a new 4-year term to be transmitted to the Senate for confirmation. This is a majority vote of the Commissioners who voted to renominate the current Administrator of Elections per State Statute 15.61.
The 3 democrat Commissioners abstained from voting, which is not a recorded vote. The 3 democrat Commissioners are recorded on video as effusing praise on the current Administrator of Elections for her qualifications, national awards and remarkable ability to administrate elections in Wisconsin into perpetuity regardless of their statutory duties and or the law. - The 3 Democrat Commissioners then started their deliberately deceiving public relations campaign to confuse their statutory duties with stating, “…without a vacancy, [the Commission has] an Administrator, and that Administrator continues.”
- No one, except the Democrat Commissioners (3), ever said there was a “vacancy”
- The Wisconsin Election Commission did not submit their unanimous majority recommendation to renominate the current Administrator of Elections to the Senate for confirmation as is required by Statute 15.61.
- Senate then passes Senate Resolution 3 (click here –2023 Senate Resolution 3 (wisconsin.gov)) on June 28, 2023, in response to the antics of the democrats on the Wisconsin Election Commission to move the process of appointing an Administrator of Elections per State Statute 15.61.
With the inaction and non-submittal of their recommendation to reappoint the current Administrator of Elections for a new 4-year term to end on July 1, 2027, the Senate Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection held an Informational Hearing by inviting the current Administrator of Elections to testify on August 29, 2023, as is outlined per Wisconsin Senate Rule 22 (click here – Wisconsin Legislature: sr22). - She did not appear using the August 23, 2023, letter from Attorney General Kaul (click here – CCPGOAL Letter (wispolitics.com)) who advised her not to appear and that the Senate Committee needed to remove her appearance from the August 29, 2023, Informational Hearing Agenda because there was no appointment, and the Senate has no current authority to confirm or reject the appointment of a WEC Administrator.
- The Senate Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection held the Informational Hearing on August 29, 2023, in spite of the Attorney General’s threatening letter and directive to remove the appointment of the Administrator of Elections appearance to be in compliance with State Statute 15.61 and Senate Rule 22 (click here – Election deniers reair false claims at public hearing over Wisconsin’s top elections official’s future | Wisconsin Public Radio (wpr.org)).
- The Senate Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection then held an Executive Session (paper ballot vote) on September 11, 2023, to be in compliance with State Statute 15.61 and Senate Rule 22 with a 3-1 vote in favor of “not” accepting the Wisconsin Election Commission’s unanimous majority recommendation to reappoint the current Administrator of Elections to a new 4-year term to end on July 1, 2023 (click here – Senate committee recommends firing Wisconsin’s top elections official in process the attorney general disputes (pbswisconsin.org)).
- The Republican Senate Leadership Team then voted to add to the September 14, 2023, Floor Session calendar, an Agenda Item for Advice and Consent, as is required by State Statute 15.61 and Senate Rule 22, regarding the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection to “not” to reappoint the current Administrator of Elections for a new 4-year term (click here – Senate Home (wisconsin.gov)).
- The Wisconsin Republican Senate Members unanimously voted 22-11 to accept the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection to “not” reappoint the current Administrator of Elections to a new 4-year term much to the chagrin of the bleeding-heart liberals when republicans simply chose to follow the law and exercise their constitutional and statutory authority to do so under Statute 15.61 and Senate Rule 22 (click here – Republican-led Wisconsin Senate votes to fire state’s nonpartisan top elections official (wisn.com)).
- The Republican Senate Leadership Team, knowing that the only way democrats can claim victory, in some cases, is to always file a lawsuit to hopefully get their way with a friendly judge when they can’t win at the ballot box or pass legislation, secured outside legal counsel specializing in constitutional law and statutory authority of the legislative body. The highly respected and very successful law firm of Eimer Stahl, helped procure a 5-page riveting “slap-down” of AG Kaul, the democrats, out-of-state pin-striped suited attorneys and Big Tech Billionaire donors for their complete and total lack of deliberate misunderstanding of the constitution, the statutes and Senate Rules that govern the process of nominating someone for an appointment (click here – Letter to Attorney General Kaul RE – WEC Administer (1).pdf).
- Of course, AG Kaul anticipating that the Republican Senators would do the right thing by following the constitution and exercising their statutory duties and authority, had a 25-page lawsuit ready for a courier to immediately deliver to a friendly Dane County Circuit Judge after the historic Senate vote and posed for the cameras (click here –https://www.doj.state.wi.us/sites/default/files/news-media/9.14.23_Wolfe_Summons_and_Complaint.pdf and AG Kaul files lawsuit after Senate votes to fire Meagan Wolfe (wisn.com)).
- In spite of the grade school attempt by AG Kaul to thwart the constitution and block any attempt of the Wisconsin Republican Senate to simply exercise their statutory authority, the Wisconsin Republican Senate Members again voted unanimously to pass Senate Resolution 4 asking the Wisconsin Election Commission to abide by their statutory duty of Statute 15.61 to appoint an Interim Administrator of Elections (click here – WI SR4 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | LegiScan).
And so, it goes.
When will this sham ever end so that Wisconsin voters can finally have total confidence that their vote will be counted as it was cast?
Wisconsin has seen this “B-Rated Movie” countless times with democrats that is starting to take on the feeling of Act 10 in 2011 when the democrats felt the need to skip town instead of fulfilling their oath-of-office by hiding out in Illinois with Indiana democrats at taxpayer expense when they don’t get their way (click here – Indiana Dems follow Wisconsin Dems to Illinois, fleeing anti-union vote – CBS News).
What’s the Pathway Forward for a New Administrator of Elections
A new Administrator of Elections must possess and have demonstrated during their professional career the qualities of administration, cyber awareness, finance and an in-depth knowledge and understanding of election law.
State Statute 15.61 makes it abundantly clear without any ambiguity that the pathway forward to appoint a new Administrator of Elections is as follows as a result of the historic Senate vote from September 14th in spite of all of the noise from democrats:
- A “vacancy” has now occurred, and the 45-day clock has begun to appoint a new Administrator of Elections by the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
- The Wisconsin Election Commission, out of the graciousness of Senate Republicans, are being given another chance to follow the law instead of trying to figure a way to work around the law.
- The Wisconsin Election Commission, if they appoint an Administrator of Elections during the 45-day “vacancy” period, will then have to submit their appointment to the Senate for Advice and Consent confirmation.
- If the Wisconsin Election Commission does not appoint a new Administrator of Elections at the end of the 45-day period, the Joint Committee on Legislative Organization will then appoint an interim Administrator of Elections to serve until a new Administrator of Elections has been confirmed by the Senate but for a term of no longer than one year.
- Of course, the AG and democrats are purposely trying to have fog and confusion set in with the apparent willing accomplices in the press/media to provide cover in hopes of confusing voters that the Republicans are insurrectionists and that this is a “threat to the democracy”!
- Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, shame on us!
The Wisconsin Republican Senators showed tremendous courage (no matter the cost), conviction (is this the right thing to do?) and commitment (we’re all in) when they patiently and politely listened to the exaggerations and truth-stretching democrats on September 14th who attempted a minor coup to keep “their” Administrator of Elections in place indefinitely.
These Senators need to be recognized and profusely thanked for their respect and admiration of the constitution, state law and their statutory authority by doing the right thing regarding the appointment process of nominating an Administrator of Elections.
Please consider taking 5 minutes to reach out to them to say, “thank you” and to let them know we have their back when the arrows start flying over the next few weeks.
Here are the courageous 22 Republican Senators, their emails and Office phone numbers:
- Sen. Ballweg (R-Markesan) – [email protected] – 608-266-0751
- Sen. Bradley (R-Franklin) – [email protected] – 608-266-5400
- Sen. Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton)- [email protected] – 608-266-0718
- Sen. Cowles (R-Green Bay) – [email protected] – 608-266-048
- Sen. Felzkowski (R-Irma) – [email protected] – 608-266-2509
- Sen. Feyen (R-Fond du lac) – [email protected] – 608-266-5300
- Sen. Hutton (R-Brookfield) – [email protected] – 608-266-2512
- Sen. Jacque (R- De Pere) – [email protected] – 608-266-3512
- Sen. Jagler (R-Watertown) – [email protected] – 608-266-5660
- Sen. James (R-Altoona) – [email protected] – 608-266-7511
- Sen. Kapenga (R-Delafield) – [email protected] – 608-266-9174
- Sen. Knodl (R-Germantown) – [email protected] – 608-266-5830
- Sen. LaMahieu (R-Oostburg) – [email protected] – 608-266-2056
- Sen. Marklein (R-Spring Green) – [email protected] – 608-266-0703
- Sen. Nass (R-Whitewater) – [email protected] – 608-266-2635
- Sen. Quinn (R-Cameron) – [email protected] – 608-266-3510
- Sen. Stafsholt (R-New Richmond) – [email protected] – 608-266-7745
- Sen. Stroebel (R-Saukville) – [email protected] – 608-266-7513
- Sen. Testin (Stevens Point) – [email protected] – 608-266-3123
- Sen. Tomczyk (R-Mosinee) – [email protected] – 608-266-2502
- Sen. Wanggaard (R-Racine) – [email protected] – 608-266-1832
- Sen. Wimberger (R-Green Bay) – [email protected] – 608-266-5670
Wisconsin, and by extension, America, is at a crossroads.
You can email Jim Hoft here, and read more of Jim Hoft’s articles here.