Republicans in the Wisconsin state legislature are asking a newly elected liberal justice on the state Supreme Court to recuse herself from a redistricting case, or they could consider impeachment.
On the campaign trail, Justice Janet Protasiewicz, who won one of the most watched elections of the year, claimed Wisconsin’s state maps were “rigged” and “unfair” and that she believed the state Supreme Court should do something about it.
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Before Protasiewicz was elected, Republicans held a majority on the court for 15 years. Democrats in Wisconsin saw her election as a chance for Wisconsin’s maps to be drawn fairly, as some have considered them the most gerrymandered in the country.
But, Republicans in the state legislature are claiming that, because of her comments on the campaign trail criticizing the maps, she cannot fairly judge them and must recuse herself from the case. And they hinted that if she doesn’t, then they could consider impeachment.
“The idea that we’re going to immediately start an impeachment process is probably too radical,” Speaker of the Wisconsin state House Robin Vos (R) told a local radio station.
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“I want to look and see, does she recuse herself on cases where she is prejudged? That, to me, is something that is at the oath of office and what she said she was going to do to uphold the Constitution. That, to me, is a serious offense.”
Any impeachment in the House would render her seat useless as she could not vote or hear cases until the Senate acts. If the Senate were to convict her and remove her from office, her replacement would be chosen by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
