In October 1995, Senator, George Petak, faced controversy when he changed his vote on a funding bill for the Miller Park stadium.

Miller Park was being planned to replace the forty-year-old Milwaukee County Stadium and was being pushed by Republican Governor Tommy Thompson and Milwaukee Brewers owner and future-Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig.

Petak had promised his constituents that he would vote against the bill, but changed his mind based on the belief that the Brewers would leave Wisconsin if a new stadium wasn't built.

His actions caused outrage and frustration in his home district, and local Democrats were energized to collect signatures for a recall petition.

[3] Nine months after his vote on the stadium tax, Petak became the first Wisconsin state legislator to be removed from office in a recall election, when he was defeated by Democratic State Representative Kimberly Plache.