Wisconsin Republicans' hatred of elected State Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson is so deep that one power-mad GOP legislator wants the law changed in Wisconsin to force the retirement of any judge over a proscribed are limit.
The age limit hasn't been set yet, but the bill would likely be written with a mandatory retirement age that guarantees Abrahamson, and perhaps other sitting judges and Justices - - all elected by voters well aware of the candidates' ages - - would have to quit before their terms were over.
A separate plan pushed by right-wing legislators to strip Abrahamson of her chief justiceship is working its way through a legislative and constitutional amending procedure. That plan would allow the court to elect its chief justice, thus guaranteeing for the foreseeable future that a conservative justice in the special-interest funded and controlled majority would assume the position.
Abrahamson is 80, leads the court's liberal minority and is chief justice by virtue of seniority. She was re-elected to a fourth term in 2009.
I'll bet Republicans and especially its author, the unofficial State Capitol gerontophobe Rep. Dean Knudson, R-Hudson, hear from their older voting constituencies about an obviously discriminatory, dismissive misuse of legislating.
The age limit hasn't been set yet, but the bill would likely be written with a mandatory retirement age that guarantees Abrahamson, and perhaps other sitting judges and Justices - - all elected by voters well aware of the candidates' ages - - would have to quit before their terms were over.
A separate plan pushed by right-wing legislators to strip Abrahamson of her chief justiceship is working its way through a legislative and constitutional amending procedure. That plan would allow the court to elect its chief justice, thus guaranteeing for the foreseeable future that a conservative justice in the special-interest funded and controlled majority would assume the position.
Abrahamson is 80, leads the court's liberal minority and is chief justice by virtue of seniority. She was re-elected to a fourth term in 2009.
I'll bet Republicans and especially its author, the unofficial State Capitol gerontophobe Rep. Dean Knudson, R-Hudson, hear from their older voting constituencies about an obviously discriminatory, dismissive misuse of legislating.
Makes you wonder what new challenges are going to be vrought before the court. Doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteI'll bet they won't! Anything egregious act committed by Repubs is OK, dontcha know?
ReplyDeleteI think there should be a minimum IQ for legislators. That would be a better indicator of competence than age wouldn't it?
ReplyDelete