GOP lawmakers propose abolishing Wisconsin Elections Commission, giving duties to secretary of state

MADISON – A group of Republican lawmakers is proposing to dissolve the state's bipartisan elections commission five months before the 2024 presidential election, handing the duties to the secretary of state's office with oversight by the GOP-controlled state Legislature.

The proposal released requires Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, a Democrat, to take over election administration duties from the commission by June 30 and bars her from taking any action without the approval of the GOP-controlled legislative committees overseeing election issues.

Scott Krug, chairman of the Assembly elections committee, said he would consider holding a hearing on the proposal but had not yet read the legislation closely as of Monday evening.

"(It) does make some sense to have an elected representative of the people at the helm," he said. "Just a lot of details to get right along the way."

The proposal, released by Senate elections committee chairman Dan Knodl and 10 Assembly Republicans, is the latest move by the Republican-controlled Legislature to overhaul election administration ahead of the 2024 presidential election in one of the most narrowly divided battleground states in the country.

Britt Cudaback, spokeswoman for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, said the governor will veto "any attempts by Republicans to continue abusing their power to interfere with or control the outcomes of our elections."

"Republicans have spent years attempting to overturn and undermine our elections, defending gerrymandered maps, working to make it harder for eligible Wisconsinites to cast their ballot, and threatening to impeach and illegally fire Wisconsin’s election administrator," Cudaback said in a statement.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission has been under fire for three years because of false claims put forward by former President Donald Trump after the 2020 election to persuade supporters to believe he actually won the election he lost, and because of policies commissioners approved to navigate hurdles presented by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Even though WEC is the result of Republican legislation, I can honestly say that it has failed in its duties," Knodl said in a statement Tuesday. "When a government entity fails at doing its job I believe the public should have a remedy for change. Currently, the public has no such remedy."“This legislation merely empowers an elected official that the public can hold accountable at the voting booth to run elections.”

Don Millis, the Wisconsin Elections Commission chairman, said he opposed the idea in 2022 when the Republican candidate for governor floated similar proposals.

"It was a bad idea then. It is an even worse idea now given that Secretary of State Godlewski occupies that post," said Millis, a Republican. "My guess is that Secretary Godlewski will be first in line to testify in support of this bill at the public hearing."

Godlewski raised concerns in recent months among election officials, including Millis and Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe, for proposing to use her office to promote election issues and conducting outreach to election clerks even though her office has no election duties like other states' secretaries of state.

Godlewski did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

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"That the bill provides for mandatory oversight by standing election committees gives me no assurance.  My concern is that as described, the oversight by the standing committees of the legislature would likely be struck down by the current members of the State Supreme Court as a violation of the separation of powers," Millis said. "Thus, Secretary Godlewski would be free from any restraint and administer elections in any manner she prefers."

"Election administration in Wisconsin will be that much more partisan and subject to the whims of the partisan occupant of the secretary of state office," Millis said.

The commission was created in 2015 by Republican lawmakers and former Gov. Scott Walker. A six-member bipartisan panel of commissioners oversees the agency's work. Each vote of the commission must include members of both political parties to be successful.

"This proposed bill seeks to establish a revamped system that incorporates a robust framework of checks and balances through the legislative rules process, aiming to address the identified shortcomings and ensure a more streamlined and accountable electoral process," the co-sponsors wrote in Monday's memo.

The idea of abolishing the Wisconsin Elections Commission and giving duties to a partisan official was rejected by legislative leadership when similar proposals were put forward in 2022 by candidates running in the Republican primary for governor.

At the time, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said they did not support the idea of abolishing the commission.

Under the bill, Wolfe must create an implementation plan with Godlewski "to ensure a smooth transition from the commission to the office of the secretary of state," according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau.

The bill requires all commission staff except Wolfe to transfer to Godlewski's office as well as "all assets, liabilities, and tangible personal property of the commission."

"This Wisconsin proposal aligns with these principles, including legislative oversight as a vital check on power, which swings like a pendulum," the co-sponsors wrote.

Lawmakers over the years have reduced the office of Secretary of State to two positions and a budget of less than $250,000 per year. Godlewski currently has an office in the basement of the state Capitol.

In comparison, the Wisconsin Elections Commission has about 32 full-time staff members and an annual budget of $6 million.

Aides to Knodl, LeMahieu and Vos did not respond to questions about the proposal. A spokesman for Wolfe declined to comment.

Jessie Opoien and Hope Karnopp of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.

More: Senate elections committee votes against keeping elections chief Meagan Wolfe

Jessie Opoien and Hope Karnopp of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Republican lawmakers propose abolishing Wisconsin Elections Commission