State Bar of Wisconsin

October rallies to be held around Wisconsin in support of Impartial Justice Bill

By Adam Korbitz, Government Relations Coordinator, State Bar of Wisconsin

Oct. 16, 2009 – State-wide rallies are scheduled for Oct. 19, 22, and 27 in support of the Impartial Justice Bill, Senate Bill 40 and Assembly Bill 65.

The rallies – to be held in Milwaukee, Madison, La Crosse and Eau Claire, are being organized by Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton and will feature former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janine Geske and long-time Republican campaign operative and clean elections advocate Bill Kraus.

The Impartial Justice Bill would greatly increase public financing for Wisconsin Supreme Court campaigns. The State Bar of Wisconsin has long-supported the bill, which was authored by Senator Pat Kreitlow and Representative Gordon Hintz.

Past President Thomas Basting testified in support of the bill on behalf of the State Bar at a joint Senate/Assembly public hearing on May 27. The Assembly Committee on Elections and Campaign Reform approved the Assembly version of the bill in June. The Senate Committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing approved the bill in August, moving the bill closer to a floor vote in that house.

Now that the Impartial Justice Bill has been approved by committees in both houses of the Legislature, the bill should see a floor vote in either house sometime during the ongoing fall legislative floor period. Several years ago, the State Bar’s Board of Governors addressed the issue of public financing for supreme court campaigns and concluded that such a reform would “help maintain the integrity and independence of Wisconsin’s courts, where even the perception of bias destroys public trust and confidence in the justice system.”

In December 2007, all seven members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court wrote a letter to Governor Doyle and all legislators expressing their support for “realistic, meaningful public financing for supreme court elections to facilitate and protect the judicial function.” While the court made it clear it was not endorsing any particular bill, the justices stated “The risk inherent in any non-publicly funded judicial election for this court is that the public may inaccurately perceive a justice as beholden to individuals or groups that contribute to his or her campaign. Judges must not only be fair, neutral, impartial and non-partisan but also should be so perceived by the public.”

State Bar members can show their support for the Impartial Justice Bill by attending one of the rallies:

Monday, October 19, 2009
2:00-3:00 p.m.
Milwaukee County Courthouse Rotunda
901 North 9th Street
Milwaukee

Thursday, October 22, 2009
2:00-3:00 p.m.
Outside Supreme Court Chambers
State Capitol
Madison

Tuesday, October 27, 2009
9:30-10:30 a.m.
La Crosse County Courthouse
333 Vine St
La Crosse

1:00-2:00 p.m.
Eau Claire County Courthouse
721 Oxford Ave
Eau Claire

Continue to monitor WisBar.org and visit the State Bar’s Government Relations page for updated information on this legislation.

Related articles:

Senate judiciary committee approves Impartial Justice Bill, holds hearing on Family Justice Bill, other issues – August 25, 2009
Assembly committee approves Impartial Justice Bill, increasing public financing of supreme court campaigns – June 25, 2009
U.S. Supreme Court Issues Massey v. Caperton Ruling – June 9, 2009
State Bar testifies in support of the Impartial Justice Bill – May 28, 2009
Statement of State Bar President Diane Diel in Support of Senate Bill 40, the "Impartial Justice Bill" – February 10, 2009

Rotunda Report is a new newsletter, issued once every two weeks, from the State Bar of Wisconsin that highlights legislative, judicial and administrative developments that impact the legal profession and the justice system. It is produced by the Bar’s Government Relations Team and is distributed free to attorneys, public officials and others who help shape public policy in Wisconsin. We invite your suggestions to make the Rotunda Report more informative and useful and we encourage you to visit our Web site for the most current information about justice-related issues.

© 2009, State Bar of Wisconsin