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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

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Jacob Alabab-Moser joined as Wisconsin Watch’s fact checker in September 2022, as part of the effort by The Gigafact Project in partnership with different state-level news outlets to combat misinformation in the 2022 midterm elections. Jacob has several years of experience as a fact checker and research assistant at a variety of organizations, including at The Gigafact Project. He holds a BA from Brown University and is pursuing a MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science.