The law allows Republican and Democratic leaders in the Assembly and Senate to appoint one member each to the elections and ethics commissions.

The governor has two appointees to both commissions. He or she nominates two former judges to the ethics commission and two former county or municipal clerks to the elections commission.

All gubernatorial appointees are subject to a confirmation vote by the state Senate. Third parties also can be represented by a commissioner if their candidate for governor got 10 percent or more of the vote in the most recent gubernatorial election. Those commissioners would be nominated by the governor and subject to Senate confirmation.

Spokespersons for Fitzgerald’s Democratic counterparts, Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, and Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, declined to respond Tuesday to the question of whether they, too, will appoint commissioners with partisan political backgrounds.

The new law provides few qualifications or restrictions on who can be appointed. It says they may not hold another state or local public office, except reserve judge, become a candidate for state or local office or be a lobbyist or an employee of a lobbying principal.

McCallum and the other appointees may serve as non-voting members of the GAB until the new commissions take effect June 30, Magney said.

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