The Breske Affair

Two theories abound about Governor Doyle’s appointment of Senator Breske to be Railroad Commissioner.  In the left corner in the florescent beige trunks, we have Christian Schneider’s theory:

In 2003, Governor Jim Doyle unilaterally negotiated several gaming compacts that allowed greatly expanded gambling in perpetuity. The compacts could never be revisited, unless the Indian tribes agreed to do so. In exchange, the state treasury got a slightly higher cut of the casino revenues.

Naturally, such an arrangement would be a blow to northern tavern owners. When the Legislature considered a bill to add legislative oversight to approval of gaming compacts (a concept Doyle supported as Attorney General), Breske voted for it. After Doyle vetoed the bill, it headed back to the State Senate, where it appeared the votes were there to override Doyle’s veto.

Quickly, it became apparent that Breske might be the deciding vote on whether to override the governor’s veto. He anguished over his decision for days, hiding from his Senate colleagues. When he left his office, he was hounded by reporters wondering whether he was going to side with his most beloved constituent group - the tavern owners - or if he was going to switch his vote and side with Doyle.

When Breske finally announced he was inserting a knife into the back of his district tavern owners and siding with the Governor, rumors abound that he had struck some kind of deal with Doyle. Breske is, after all, 70 years old, and seemed to welcome the idea of a less stressful job within the Doyle administration. After his vote on the gaming compacts, some speculated it was only a matter of time that he would take advantage of his deal with Doyle. And now that day may have arrived.

In the right corner in the nicotine-yellow trunks, Ryan of Ban the Ban opines:

It is entirely too convenient that Commandant Doyle has moved Senator Breske, one of our staunchest allies, to the position of railroad commissioner. After all, this removes Doyle’s biggest obstacle in passing a smoking ban, since as commissioner Breske would lose his power in the legislature.

It also explains the sudden jump in salary for the commissioner position, as I would not doubt if Doyle bought off Breske with a higher salary to try and grease the skids a bit.

Already the articles about this are pointing out that Breske was the Tavern League’s agent against the smoking ban, and they aren’t hesitating to make it known that this will now change.

I suspect it’s a bit of both and some other things too.