The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Republican-appointed member of the Wisconsin Board of Natural Resources, which determines policies for the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR), thwarting efforts from Democrats to remove him from the post.
In 2015, the Republican governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, appointed Dr. Fred Prehn, a dentist and businessman from Wausau, to the DNR board for a six-year term that expired on May 1, 2021. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers appointed Sandy Naas to the board as Prehn’s replacement. However, Prehn refused to step down, thereby blocking Naas from taking the seat.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul eventually filed a lawsuit to remove Prehn from the post. In September 2021, a judge from Dane County ruled in favor of Prehn, forcing Kaul to take the matter to the state Supreme Court. In a 4–3 ruling on June 29, the Supreme Court sided with Prehn….