October 27, 2009                                                                                                                           

CONTACT: Jeff Buhrandt

(608)266-7511

Statement from Senator Pat Kreitlow on Today’s Impartial Justice Rally

Lieutenant Governor Lawton visits Eau Claire today as part of her statewide tour to rally support for passage of the Impartial Justice Bill – SB 40.  The following is a statement from Senator Pat Kreitlow (D-Chippewa Falls) who is the author of SB 40 and was unable to attend today’s event due to the State Senate being in session:

  

Let me begin by thanking Lt. Governor Lawton for coming to the Chippewa Valley to bring attention to this important bill that is Wisconsin’s best hope for restoring integrity to the highest court in our state.  Her commitment to cleaning up Supreme Court elections deserves prompt action from the legislature, and it is my hope that Senate Bill 40 will soon receive final passage in its current form. 

A growing number of people who first noticed and called attention to the increasingly toxic nature of Supreme Court races are seeing their worst fears confirmed: Wisconsin’s reputation for clean elections has vanished and our court is now tainted, paralyzed and in need of intervention and rescue.  Wisconsin residents who require and deserve prompt justice are left with a unacceptable choice: they must deal with a court that includes a justice who may (and many say should) be removed from the bench for lying to voters in order to win election, or they must deal with a court that frequently has forced one or more justices to recues themselves because of big campaign donations.

There is one certain way to remove the influence of big money donations from special interest groups in judicial elections and the unethical conduct that it encourages during judicial campaigns.  With Senate Bill 40, the Impartial Justice bill, Wisconsin citizens can take back their elections from the interest groups working to tilt the scales of justice with money and slick campaign ads.

Senate Bill 40 enjoys broad support and events like today’s move us closer to putting Wisconsin back on the path to clean campaigns and an unbiased state Supreme Court.