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Wisconsin voters have endorsed a constitutional amendment that will change how the chief justice of the state Supreme Court is picked in the future.
The amendment, approved by voters on Tuesday, will have the chief justice selected by members of the high court, replacing the current system in which the most senior member of the seven judge panel fills the role. Backers of the change argue it will allow for a more democratic process of picking the court’s leadership, while its critics claim it will inject politics into the workings of the judiciary.
Current Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson has been on the bench since 1976, and has often been at odds with the conservative majority on the court in recent years. The chief schedules cases that come before the court, while also serving as the main administrator for the rest of the state court system.
