Things escalated in Madison yesterday and it may not be over.
During an appearance on Wisconsin’s Afternoon News with John Mercure Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald hinted that Tourism Secretary-designee Sara Meaney may not be confirmed by the legislature.
“There’s a storm brewing on Sara Meaney,” said Fitzgerald. “She politicized the department of tourism.”
When pressed on how she politicized the department, Fitzgerald responded.
“There’s a couple of different stories floating out there…that has her in the position of trying to manipulate the tourism board,” said Fitzgerald. “I don’t have any facts on that…there’s press reports that are coming out that [it’s] happening.”
On Wednesday, Senate Republicans rejected the confirmation of Agriculture Secretary-designee Brad Pfaff, the first vote to reject a cabinet position in Wisconsin since 1987.
Joel Brennan, Governor Tony Evers secretary of the department of administration says Meaney is being treated unfairly.
“There’s another political hit job on Sara Meaney,” said Brennan. “Over the last ten months there was an occasion on which they did things the wrong way. The precedent for doing this was set in the previous administration by her predecessor. Sara owns the fact that they did this wrong. They’re fixing it and they’re moving forward.”
You can listen to Fitzgerald and Brennan’s interviews on Wisconsin’s Afternoon News in the players above.