Calling AARP: WI GOP plan would age-limit all judges
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.
3 comments:
Makes you wonder what new challenges are going to be vrought before the court. Doesn't it?
I'll bet they won't! Anything egregious act committed by Repubs is OK, dontcha know?
I think there should be a minimum IQ for legislators. That would be a better indicator of competence than age wouldn't it?
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