WI Legislature Alters State Constitution To Oust Progressive Chief Justice Abrahamson

[FourScore]

Thu Jul 21, 2011 at 04:03 PM PDT
WI Legislature Alters State Constitution To Oust Progressive Chief Justice Abrahamson
by FlotsamInaWebSea

...Chief Justice Abrahamson's tenure as Chief Justice is about to come to an abrupt end. Buried in the so-called "Budget Repair Bill" that was recently signed into law by Governor Scott Walker (and which does far, far more than simply deal with budgetary issues) is a change in the State Constitution article VII, which speaks to the position of the Chief Justice.

Previously, Article VII Section 4(2) read as follows:

The justice having been longest a continuous member of said court, or in case 2 or more such justices shall have served for the same length of time, the justice whose term first expires, shall be the chief justice. The justice so designated as chief justice may, irrevocably, decline to serve as chief justice or resign as chief justice but continue to serve as a justice of the supreme court.

In the most recent "Budget Bill," however (otherwise known as 2011 Joint Assembly Resolution 49) article VII of the Wisconsin State Constitution has been altered. It now reads as follows:

Each time a justice is elected or reelected and takes the oath of office, the court shall elect a chief justice as its first order of business. The justice so designated as chief justice may, irrevocably, decline to serve as chief justice or resign as chief justice but continue to serve as a justice of the supreme court.

Given the recent reelection of Walker's lap dog Justice Prosser, the Wisconsin Supreme Court now has four hyper-partisan conservatives out of the seven justices total. There can be no doubt that this law will soon usher in the election of Justice Prosser as Chief Justice. What a tragedy for the law and the State of Wisconsin.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/07/21/997175/-WI-Legislature-Alters-State-Constitution-To-Oust-Progressive-Chief-Justice-Abrahamson?via=siderec