Complex sentence: Before this process is set in motion, the existing commissioners defiantly threaten to vote the commission out of existence at their final meeting before the new commission is seated, but the action ultimately fails to pass, perhaps because the commissioners feared being sued over the action.
Split into simpler sentences: Before this process was set in motion, the existing commissioners defiantly threatened to vote the commission out of existence at their final meeting before the new commission would be seated. However, the motion ultimately failed to pass, perhaps because the commissioners feared being sued over the action.