Introduced to both the Assembly and the Senate; read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Sporting Heritage in the Assembly and the Committee on Natural Resources and Energy in the Senate.
This bill would change the nominator of the DNR Secretary from the Governor to the Natural Resources Board, like it was before the previous change back in 1995. This would insulate the DNR Secretary from gubernatorial politics and allow them to do their job to the best of their capabilities without unnecessary and likely unhelpful political influence. Restoring an independent DNR Secretary has ranked high on the wishlists of conservationists and environmentalists before, making the list of the top four conservation priorities for the 2009-2010 legislative session chosen by a network of over 80 organizations spanning Wisconsin.