
Wisconsin Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.
Yes.
As of Dec. 2, 2022, the Wisconsin Senate has still not confirmed Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ nominees to lead the state departments of Administration, Health Services, Financial Institutions, Safety and Professional Services, Workforce Development and other agencies. These nominees are among nearly 200 appointments the Senate Chief Clerk says have not yet been confirmed by the Republican-run Senate — nearly four years after Evers took office.
The Senate has confirmed several cabinet secretaries, including Craig Thompson, who has led the state Department of Transportation since his confirmation by the state Senate in 2021.
During Evers’ governorship, the Senate has kept some Republican appointees in office by refusing to confirm Evers’ nominees — an approach deemed legal by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in June 2022. Democratic state senators have also used this strategy in the past to gain political leverage.
Sources
Google Docs: Pending Gov. Evers appointments as of 12.2.22: Obtained from Senate Chief Clerk
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Senate confirms Gov. Tony Evers’ cabinet members after years in limbo
Governor Tony Evers: Cabinet
New York Times: Wisconsin court validates a Republican strategy to preserve power
Google Books: Exxon and the Crandon Mine Controversy