The committee to begin consideration of the expulsion resolution against Rep. Jeff Wood, I-Chippewa Falls, convened for their first meeting Wednesday morning.
Wednesday’s meeting of the special committee, called the Assembly Special Committee on Ethics and Standards of Conduct, was “held to lay out the groundwork,” according to Eric Hanson, spokesperson for Rep. Tony Staskunas, D-West Allis. The “groundwork” is due largely to the fact the situation is unprecedented.
Assembly Rule 21, which was passed in 1989, is concerned with “any resolution to reprimand, censure, or expel an officer or member of the Assembly” and mandates that an Assembly member is to be referred to the special committee, composed of three members of the majority party and three members of the minority party.
“This is the first time Assembly Rule 21 has actually had to be applied,” Hanson said.
Not only is this the first time the rule has been enforced but the removal of a lawmaker from office by fellow representatives has not occurred since 1917. Rep. Joan Ballweg, R-Markesan, said the committee has been asked to collect all records concerning Wood’s past arrests in what Hanson called a “fact-finding mission.”
The expulsion measures have been taken in response to Wood’s recent arrests for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Wood was arrested in Wausau for suspicion of OWI Sept. 24 and was arrested again for suspicion of OWI and bail jumping in Tomah Oct. 21. Both arrests were the results of citizens contacting the police about an erratic driver.
For the Wausau arrest, Wood admitted to taking twice the daily dose of an anxiety medication and half a bottle of nighttime cold medication.
The most recent arrest marks the fifth total OWI-related arrest for Wood, and the third since he was elected to the Legislature. At the time of the Tomah arrest, Wood was enrolled in a rehabilitation program in Minneapolis but said in a statement he was in Tomah because he requested a day pass to find his missing roommate.
Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, introduced the measures of expulsion Oct. 14 after requesting in a letter that Wood resign of his own volition. Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville, and Minority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, then decided to form the special committee which would review the case for expulsion pursuant to Assembly Rule 21.
The committee will review police reports from Wood’s past OWI arrests — along with statements from witnesses — to decide if there are any charges that need to be filed against Wood, according to Ballweg.
She also added this will be the concern for the committee in the coming weeks leading up to the next committee meeting, which has not yet been scheduled.
“We’ll know more about which way the committee will go after the next meeting,” said Jim Bender, spokesperson for Fitzgerald. “We will confront Rep. Wood after gathering the facts.”
Wood’s office could not be reached for any sort of comment regarding the public hearing on Wednesday’s as of press time.
