Doyle Likely to Veto DNR Bill

Good.

The Legislature also passed a bill that would give the seven-member Natural Resources Board the power to appoint the DNR secretary. For years Doyle supported the idea, but in March he announced he changed his mind and believes the current system makes the DNR more accountable. The board lost its authority to appoint the secretary in 1995 under then-Gov. Tommy G. Thompson

Supporters of board-appointed secretaries said future managers of the DNR would be more insulated from politics.

If Doyle vetoes the bill, it would prompt an override vote by lawmakers, which requires a two-thirds vote of the Legislature. The last time a veto was overridden was in 1985, when Gov. Anthony Earl was in office.

The DNR has tremendous power.  The last thing Wisconsin needs is to remove it even further from accountability to the voters.