Wisconsin’s Supreme Court justices divide sharply on the recusal issue. Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson and Justices Ann Walsh Bradley and Patrick Crooks have sought stricter standards, while Justices David Prosser, Patience Roggensack, Annette Ziegler and Michael Gableman have voted to let judges take part in cases involving campaign supporters and against allowing a court majority to force a justice’s removal.
Monthly Archives: March 2012
Posted inGovernment, Justice & Safety
Recusal disputes drive tension among Supreme Court justices
Wisconsin has a loose and secretive system for determining when judges and justices should recuse themselves though most other states have clearer, more objective recusal standards. The issue of judicial recusal has sparked sharp disagreements among a court known for its internal discord.
Posted inMoney & Politics Column
Sales tax increase? Not very likely
Todd Berry of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance knows good public policy often doesn’t get past the gatekeeper of politics. So while his group has identified some troubling trends regarding the state’s sales tax, he’s not expecting lawmakers to embrace reforms.
Posted inWisWatch Blog
Lawmakers on both ends of openness awards
The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council is bestowing its annual “Opee” Awards for openness in government. And Wisconsin state lawmakers have been tapped for both kinds of awards — good as well as bad.
Posted inWisWatch Blog
Let the sunshine in … please
It’s time once again for proponents of open government and the free flow of information to celebrate Sunshine Week. But this year, we’ll be doing it under a cloud.
Posted inMoney & Politics Column
Nonprofit news outlets not all the same
Wisconsin Reporter presents opinions as well as news, sometimes in the same pieces. The Center for Media and Democracy has a singular focus, on the misdeeds of corporations and governments. These are valid functions. But it’s not what the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism does.