Opinion ID: 6496175
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Whether Prehn Lawfully Holds Office.

Text: ¶16 The State indicates that Prehn's term of office expired on May 1, 2021. Therefore, according to the State, there is now a vacancy in Prehn's position on the DNR Board. The State contends that Naas must replace Prehn as a provisional gubernatorial appointment. We disagree. Accepting all facts alleged in the complaint as true, we hold that the expiration of Prehn's term did not create a vacancy, and Prehn lawfully retains his office as a holdover. DeBruin, 343 Wis. 2d 83, ¶11. 7 No. 2021AP1673 ¶17 The DNR is under the direction and supervision of the natural resources board. Wis. Stat. § 15.34(1). Wisconsin Stat § 15.05 describes the allocation of authority between the DNR Board and the Secretary: [T]he powers and duties of the board shall be regulatory, advisory and policy-making, and not administrative. All of the administrative powers and duties of the department are vested in the secretary, to be administered by him or her under the direction of the board. The secretary, with the approval of the board, shall promulgate rules for administering the department and performing the duties assigned to the department. § 15.05(1)(b). ¶18 The Governor must nominate and the senate must confirm members of the DNR Board, who serve six-year terms. Wis. Stat. §§ 15.07(1)(a), 15.34(1) & (2)(a). Because DNR Board members serve in an office filled by appointment of the governor for a fixed term by and with the advice and consent of the senate, the Governor may remove DNR Board members for cause. Wis. Stat. § 17.07(3). Cause is statutorily defined as inefficiency, neglect of duty, official misconduct, or malfeasance in office. Wis. Stat. § 17.001. The DNR Secretary must be nominated by the governor, and with the advice and consent of the senate. Wis. Stat. § 15.05(1)(c). The Secretary serve[s] at the pleasure of the governor, id., and can be removed by the governor at any time. § 17.07(4). ¶19 The DNR Board is subject to carefully defined vacancy rules. Article XIII, Section 10 of the Wisconsin Constitution states that [t]he legislature may declare the cases in which 8 No. 2021AP1673 any office shall be deemed vacant, and also the manner of filling the vacancy, where no provision is made for that purpose in this constitution. The provision provides the Legislature the power to declare when an office shall be deemed to be vacant. State ex rel. Thompson v. Gibson, 22 Wis. 2d 275, 290, 125 N.W.2d 636 (1964). ¶20 The Legislature exercised its authority to determine the existence of a vacancy by enacting Wis. Stat. § 17.03. Id.; accord State v. Devitt, 82 Wis. 2d 262, 266, 262 N.W.2d 73 (1978). Section 17.03 states, in pertinent part: Except as otherwise provided, a public office is vacant when: (1) The incumbent dies. (2) The incumbent resigns. (3) The incumbent is removed. . . . . (10) If the office is elective, the incumbent's term expires, except for the office of sheriff, coroner, register of deeds or district attorney. . . . . (13) Any other event occurs which is declared by any special provision of law to create a vacancy. ¶21 When a vacancy occurs in an appointed office such as the DNR Board, the office shall be filled by appointment by the appointing power and in the manner prescribed by law for making regular full term appointments thereto. Wis. Stat. § 17.20(1). In the case of the DNR Board, individuals selected to fill a vacancy must be nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the 9 No. 2021AP1673 senate. Id.; Wis. Stat. § 15.07(1)(a). Individuals appointed to fill vacancies . . . shall hold office for the residue of the unexpired term or, if no definite term of office is fixed by law, until their successors are appointed and qualify.3 § 17.20(1). Because DNR Board members have a fixed term by law, individuals selected to fill a vacancy on the DNR Board step into the shoes of the prior member and serve for the remainder of the term. Id.; Wis. Stat. § 15.34(2)(a). ¶22 The Governor need not wait for senate advice and consent to ensure someone occupies a DNR Board seat once a vacancy occurs. Vacancies occurring in the office of any officer normally nominated by the governor, and with the advice and consent of the senate appointed, may be filled by a provisional appointment by the governor for the residue of the unexpired term, if any, subject to confirmation by the senate. Wis. Stat. § 17.20(2)(a). While a provisional appointee serves, she may exercise all of the powers and duties of the office to which such person is appointed during the time in which the appointee qualifies. Id. ¶23 Here, the parties accept that Prehn was properly nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the senate to serve a 'Qualified,' when applied to any person elected or 3 appointed to office, means that such person has done those things which the person was by law required to do before entering upon the duties of the person's office. Wis. Stat. § 990.01(33). For instance, a qualification of a DNR Board member is that the member take and file the official oath. Wis. Stat. § 15.07(7). 10 No. 2021AP1673 full term on the DNR Board. Wis. Stat. §§ 15.07(1)(a), 15.34(1) & (2)(a). His six-year term expired by statute in May 2021. § 15.07(1)(a) & (1)(c) ([F]ixed terms of members of boards shall expire on May 1.). Once Prehn's term expired, the Governor had the prerogative to nominate another individual to serve a six-year term between May 2021 and May 2027 and replace Prehn. §§ 15.34(1), 15.07 (explaining that Board members shall be nominated by the governor . . . to serve for terms prescribed by law); see also Thompson, 22 Wis. 2d at 293 (explaining that nominees duly appointed and confirmed by the senate take over the office from their successors); State ex rel. Martin v. Heil, 242 Wis. 41, 48-49, 7 N.W.2d 375 (1942) (stating that officials who, through established legal processes, are selected for a term position take office from any individual currently occupying the position as a holdover (citing State ex rel. Pluntz v. Johnson, 176 Wis. 107, 112-16, 184 N.W. 183, vacating judgment on rehearing, 186 N.W. 729 (1922))). However, that nomination is subject to the advice and consent of the senate. § 15.07(1)(a). If the nominee is not confirmed, the nominee is not appointed into office and cannot exercise the authority assigned to that position. Id. While the Governor can make a provisional appointment who exercises all of the powers and duties of the office, subject to later confirmation by the senate, there must first be a vacancy to fill. Wis. Stat. § 17.20(2)(a). 11 No. 2021AP1673 ¶24 The expiration of Prehn's term did not create a vacancy. Thus, the Governor did not have a right to make a provisional appointment under Wis. Stat. § 17.20(2)(a). ¶25 Wisconsin Stat. § 17.03 provides a list of events that cause a vacancy. The list is detailed and includes various types of events, ranging from death to, in the case of a school district office, absen[ce] from the district for a period of 60 days. § 17.03(1), (4m). The list is exclusive, [e]xcept as otherwise provided or declared by any special provision of law. § 17.03, 17.03(13). By the plain text of the statute, expiration of a term for an appointed office is not included as an event causing a vacancy. This is a straightforward application of the canon of statutory interpretation expressio unius est exclusio alterius, [t]he expression of one thing implies the exclusion of others. State v. Dorsey, 2018 WI 10, ¶29, 379 Wis. 2d 386, 906 N.W.2d 158; see Andruss v. Divine Savior Healthcare Inc., 2022 WI 27, ¶30, 401 Wis. 2d 368, 973 N.W.2d 435 (explaining a statute that listed individuals and entities subject to a healthcare Chapter of the Wisconsin code, but did not state a specific type of entity in the list, was a textbook example of the canon and demonstrated that the specific entity was neither included in the list nor subject to the Chapter). The Legislature was deliberate and specific in defining which events constitute a vacancy, and explicitly stated that the list was exclusive absent a contrary provision of law. § 17.03, 17.03(13). The statute by its plain text excluded the expiration of appointed terms; we must give effect 12 No. 2021AP1673 to this plain language. Kalal, 271 Wis. 2d 633, ¶44 (Judicial deference to the policy choices enacted into law by the legislature requires that statutory interpretation focus primarily on the language of the statute.). ¶26 This conclusion is bolstered by the fact that the list of vacancies under Wis. Stat. § 17.03 expressly includes the expiration of an incumbent's term [i]f the office is elective. § 17.03(10). The Legislature clearly demonstrated the wherewithal and ability to include the expiration of an incumbent's term for public office in the list of vacancies under § 17.03. See Andruss, 401 Wis. 2d 368, ¶¶30, 37 (reasoning that the Legislature's choice to consider corporate affiliation for one type of healthcare provider under statute demonstrated Legislature's ability to [do so]; its decision not to do so for other healthcare providers indicated corporate affiliation was not be considered); State v. Yakich, 2022 WI 8, ¶24, 400 Wis. 2d 549, 970 N.W.2d 12 (explaining that the Legislature chose not to set or limit how multiple NGI commitments may be imposed as it did in other statutes and reasoning that we must give effect to the legislature's choice). The Legislature included term expiration in the vacancy list for elected offices, but did not for appointed offices. To read the statute to include all term expirations would render the phrase [i]f the office is elective in § 17.03(10) completely superfluous. Kalal, 271 Wis. 2d 633, ¶46 (Statutory language is read where possible to give reasonable effect to every word, in order to avoid surplusage.). Section 13 No. 2021AP1673 17.03 unambiguously excluded the expiration of appointed terms from the list of vacancy events. ¶27 Notably, we came to the same conclusion in State ex rel. Thompson v. Gibson. In Thompson, we explained that [section] 17.03 provides that an office shall be deemed to be vacant upon (among other things) the death, resignation or removal of the incumbent, but nowhere is it declared that an office is vacant when an incumbent holds over after expiration of the term for which he was initially appointed. 22 Wis. 2d at 290. We see no reason to depart from Thompson's reasoning, which remains as sound today as it did when the case was first decided. ¶28 The State argues that in order to read Wis. Stat. § 17.03 in conformity with common law jurisprudence, the expiration of Prehn's term in office must be construed as a vacancy. However, it is well established in Wisconsin precedent and the common law that appointed officers can lawfully holdover after the expiration of their term until a successor is properly appointed to the position. In Thompson, we held unambiguously that appointed incumbents whose terms had expired could holdover in office until their successors are duly appointed and confirmed by the senate. 22 Wis. 2d at 293. This was in line with prior Wisconsin precedent. See, e.g., Heil, 242 Wis. at 48-49 (explaining that [t]he absence of words extending the term until such time as a successor has been duly elected and qualified is, of course, not wholly conclusive and . . . there has been a tendency in the authorities to hold, in spite of the absence of these words, that an incumbent holds over until his 14 No. 2021AP1673 successor is selected and qualified (citing Pluntz, 176 Wis. 107)); Pluntz, 176 Wis. at 114 ([T]he general trend of decisions in this country is to the effect that, where the written law contains no provision either express or implied to the contrary, an officer holds his office until his successor is elected and qualified.). It was also in line with the common law. 63C Am. Jur. 2d Public Officers and Employees § 148 (2022) ([A]s a general rule, apart from any constitutional or statutory regulation on the subject, an incumbent of an office may hold over after the conclusion of his or her term until the election [or appointment] and qualification of a successor.); 67 C.J.S. Officers § 154 (2022) (As a general rule, in the absence of a constitution or statute providing otherwise, an officer is entitled to hold office until a successor is appointed or elected and has qualified.). By statute, Prehn's term has expired, but he is lawfully retaining office as a holdover until a successor is legally appointed, i.e., nominated and confirmed by the senate. Wis. Stat. §§ 15.07(1)(a), 15.34(1). Neither our precedents nor the common law support the State's position that the expiration of Prehn's term must be construed as a vacancy, notwithstanding the text of Wis. Stat. § 17.03. ¶29 The State also points out that the statutes setting the length of DNR Board member's terms of office indicate that DNR Board members serve for terms prescribed by law and their terms shall expire after six years. Wis. Stat. § 15.07(1)(a) & (1)(c). The State cites this language to argue that Prehn can 15 No. 2021AP1673 no longer be in office because he has served his term and therefore, Prehn is now illegally holding office. But the State's conclusion does not follow from the statutes upon which it relies. It is undoubtedly true that Prehn serves a defined term of office, and it is accepted that Prehn's term expired in May 2021. However, those realities say nothing about whether there is now a vacancy in Prehn's DNR Board position under Wis. Stat. § 17.03 justifying a provisional appointment under Wis. Stat. § 17.20(2)(a), which the State in this case seeks. Because Prehn's term expired, the Governor now has the prerogative to appoint a successor who, if confirmed, may replace Prehn on the Board for a full appointed term. Wis. Stat. §§ 15.34(1), 15.07; Thompson, 22 Wis. 2d at 293; Heil, 242 Wis. at 48-49. Without the expiration of Prehn's term, the Governor would not have the ability to appoint a replacement to complete a successive term. Further, if the Governor wished to replace Prehn prior to the completion of Prehn's term, the Governor would need to overcome Prehn's for cause protections. Wis. Stat. § 17.07(3). The Governor does not need to explain the reasons for nominating another individual for senate confirmation to replace Prehn. ¶30 Nonetheless, as explained above, the plain text of Wis. Stat. § 17.03 establishes that the expiration of a defined term for an appointed office does not create a vacancy. Without a vacancy, the Governor cannot make a provisional appointment and Prehn cannot be replaced with an individual whom the senate has not confirmed. As we correctly explained in Thompson, 16 No. 2021AP1673 after the expiration of [incumbents'] terms, the incumbents . . . may holdover in office until their successors are duly appointed and confirmed by the senate. 22 Wis. 2d at 293. This conforms with well established law. Heil, 242 Wis. at 48-49; Pluntz, 176 Wis. at 113-16; 63C Am. Jur. 2d Public Officers and Employees, supra ¶28; 67 C.J.S. Officers, supra ¶28. ¶31 Finally, the State cites statutes for other offices that specify term lengths based on when a successor is appointed. For instance, election officials at the municipal level are appointed to hold office for 2 years and until their successors are appointed and qualified. Wis. Stat. § 7.30(6)(a). Local fire and police commissioners serve terms of 5 years . . . and until their respective successors shall be appointed and qualified. Wis. Stat. § 62.50(1h). The State argues that the inclusion of this language for these offices implies that the expiration of an appointed term as a general matter creates a vacancy. In so doing, the State notes that Wis. Stat. § 17.03 provides an exclusive list of vacancies [e]xcept as otherwise provided or declared by any special provision of law. § 17.03, 17.03(13). ¶32 The State is correct that some statutes define terms for different offices in a different manner than Wis. Stat. § 15.07 defines terms for DNR Board members. But that does not answer whether incumbents may stay in office after their term has expired, however that term is defined, or whether the expiration of terms for appointed offices create a vacancy. 17 No. 2021AP1673 Under the law in this state, absent statutory or constitutional language prohibiting a holdover period, incumbents may lawfully holdover after their statutorily prescribed term has concluded and until their successor is appointed and qualified. Thompson, 22 Wis. 2d at 293; Heil, 242 Wis. at 48-49; Pluntz, 176 Wis. at 113-16; 63C Am. Jur. 2d Public Officers and Employees, supra ¶28; 67 C.J.S. Officers, supra ¶28. And under Wis. Stat. § 17.03, the expiration of appointed terms of office do not create vacancies justifying a provisional appointment, unless a provision of law states otherwise. Wis. Stat. §§ 17.03, 17.03(13); 17.20(2)(a). No statute or constitutional provision has been identified that prohibits DNR Board members from lawfully holding over, and no statute or constitutional provision cited to the court defines the expiration of a DNR Board member's term as a vacancy. ¶33 Simply because some offices in this state have defined terms of office to end when a successor is appointed or qualified does not imply that holdover periods are prohibited for other offices such as the DNR Board, after the expiration of fixed terms. As we explained in Thompson, the existence of an explicit holdover clause makes it even more clear that the office is not 'vacant' simply due to the fact that the time specified by statute for holding office (e.g., two years for municipal election officials) has passed. 22 Wis. 2d at 293-94. The existence of holdover clauses in some statutes did not prevent the Thompson court from recognizing, in line with precedent and the common law, that incumbents may holdover in 18 No. 2021AP1673 office until their successors are duly appointed and confirmed by the senate, even without explicit statutory authorization. Id. at 293. ¶34 Furthermore, even if for some positions the Legislature chose to explicitly incorporate the common law rule through a holdover provision does not on its own imply the abrogation of the established common law rule for other positions that do not include a holdover provision, such as the DNR Board. See Strenke v. Hogner, 2005 WI 25, ¶29, 279 Wis. 2d 52, 694 N.W.2d 296 (To accomplish a change in the common law, the language of the statute must be clear, unambiguous, and peremptory.); Biart v. First Nat'l Bank of Madison, 262 Wis. 181, 191, 54 N.W.2d 175 (1952) (It is a principle of statutory construction that the rules of common law are not to be changed by doubtful implication.). Restating the common law for a specific class of offices should not be interpreted as removing common law rules for offices outside the class. Antonin Scalia & Bryan A. Garner, Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts 318-19 (2012) (reasoning that a statute explicitly stating dogs wearing tax tag[s] are personal property protected under tort law did not abrogate the common law rule that all dogs are personal property protected under tort law, notwithstanding the potential application of the expressio unius canon); see also Fuchsgruber v. Custom Assocs., Inc., 2001 WI 81, ¶¶18-30, 244 Wis. 2d 758, 628 N.W.2d 833 (explaining that a statute affecting the common law for contributory negligence in negligence suits did not affect the 19 No. 2021AP1673 common law for product liability suits, despite the fact that product liability law incorporated and heavily utilized contributory negligence principles); Schmidt v. N. States Power Co., 2007 WI 136, ¶¶66-67, 305 Wis. 2d 538, 742 N.W.2d 294 (reasoning that a statute setting standards for electricity safety did not abrogate common law negligence rules on safety and risk, despite the rules affecting the same types of businesses performing the kinds of services). ¶35 Under Wisconsin law, the expiration of an appointed term of office does not create a vacancy justifying a provisional appointment. Wis. Stat. §§ 17.03, 17.20(2)(a). Members of the DNR Board whose terms have expired may remain in office as holdovers until their successors are properly nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the senate. Thompson, 22 Wis. 2d at 293; 63C Am. Jur. 2d Public Officers and Employees, supra ¶28; 67 C.J.S. Officers, supra ¶28; Wis. Stat. §§ 17.03, 15.07(1)(a), 15.34(1) & (2)(a). Prehn lawfully holds office as a holdover, and because there is no vacancy in Prehn's position, the Governor may not replace Prehn through use of a provisional appointment. § 17.20(2)(a).