There’s another push for immediate passage of the Impartial Justice bill.
The legislation would provide public funding for state Supreme Court races. At a news conference at the state Supreme Court, Lt. Gov Barbara Lawton explains, the Impartial Justice bill is necessary because there is a serious erosion of confidence in our judicial system.
Lawton says the justices need to be impartial, fair, neutral and nonpartisan. And, she says, the perception citizens have of the judges is just as important. Record amounts of money — about $6-million — was spent for Wisconsin Supreme Court campaigns in both 2007 and 2008.
The bill’s co-author Representative Gordon Hintz says the increased outside influence, negativity and distortion have created a perception that our justice system lacks fairness and integrity. Opponents say taxpayers should not be forced to pay for the campaigns of politicians to run for office. Hintz says justices are not politicians, they are nonpartisan judges.