Carpenter also proposes to have Supreme Court Appointees confirmed by Senate.
Madison – Today State Senator Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) announced that he will be introducing a Supreme Court judicial reform package when the next legislative session begins. The first bill will require that the Senate approve any Supreme Court justice appointed by the governor to fill a vacancy. The second bill will remove or clarify current statues that allow for only one State Supreme Court Justice be up for election on a ballot, and require that any Justices appointed to fill a vacant seat need to be on the ballot of the next Spring Election.
The current laws could require that any new justice appointed after the retirement of Justice David Prosser would not be up for confirmation by the voters by election in 2020. Under current state law, appointees stand for election at the first year in which a Supreme Court election isn't already scheduled, and in this case contests are already planned for 2017, 2018 and 2019.
“Other appointees made by the Governor must be approved by the Senate, and Supreme Court justices should also be so approved. And the voters should not be made to wait excessively before they are able to have their voices heard in an election. There is no reason not to have an appointed justice’s election at the next Spring Election,” said Carpenter.
