As the Legislature gets set to consider legislation reforming Supreme Court races, the governor is offering his support for the measure.
Lawmakers are expected to vote this week on a bill that would create a public financing system for Supreme Court elections. Governor Jim Doyle says the Impartial Justice proposal would help to distinguish judges from other elected offices and the political attacks that often come with those races.
A difference that was apparent in the last three Supreme Court races, after millions of dollars were spent by outside groups trying to influence the election. Doyle says that’s made people wary of the high court and also has them questioning if just is even handed in Wisconsin.
When it comes to campaign donations, Doyle says he can understand why the court had issues with a proposed rule that would require justices to recuse themselves from cases involving campaign donors. He says defining the line of where bias begins is very difficult to do. The court rejected the proposal last week on a 4-3 vote.