In Wisconsin, a courtroom that nearly overturned Biden’s win flips to liberal management

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Supreme Court docket flips to liberal management for the primary time in 15 years Tuesday with the beginning of the time period of a brand new justice who made abortion rights a spotlight of her successful marketing campaign.

Janet Protasiewicz will mark the beginning of her time period with a swearing-in ceremony within the state Capitol Rotunda, the kind of pomp and circumstance sometimes reserved for governors. Protasiewicz’s win carries great weight in Wisconsin, a battleground the place the state Supreme Court docket has been the final phrase on a few of the greatest political and coverage battles of the previous decade-plus.

The conservative-controlled courtroom got here inside one vote of overturning President Joe Biden’s slender win within the state in 2020, although Biden nonetheless would have had sufficient electoral votes to say the presidency. Extra battles over voting guidelines and elections are anticipated main as much as 2024, together with challenges to the state’s abortion ban, Republican-drawn political boundary traces and a bunch of different hot-button political points.

Protasiewicz, a Milwaukee County decide, ran with backing and deep monetary assist from Democrats, abortion rights teams and different liberals within the formally nonpartisan race. She handily defeated her conservative opponent in April, elevating expectations amongst liberals that the brand new courtroom will quickly eliminate the state’s abortion ban, order new maps to be drawn and guarantee an extended line of Democratic success after 15 years of rulings that largely favored Republicans.

Whilst liberals have excessive hopes that the brand new courtroom will rule of their favor, there aren’t any ensures. Republicans had been angered when a conservative candidate they backed in 2019 turned out to typically facet with liberal justices.

Protasiewicz replaces retiring conservative Justice Pat Roggensack, who served 20 years, together with six as chief justice.

Whereas it could be some time earlier than the courtroom weighs in on some matters, a brand new lawsuit difficult the GOP-drawn legislative and congressional district maps is anticipated to be filed inside weeks. And there may be already a pending case difficult Wisconsin’s pre-Civil Struggle period abortion ban, and a county decide dominated final month that it will possibly proceed, whereas additionally calling into query whether or not the regulation truly bans abortions.

The foundations for voting and elections are additionally anticipated to come back earlier than the courtroom heading into the 2024 presidential election.

A nationwide Democratic regulation agency filed a lawsuit final month in search of to undo a Wisconsin Supreme Court docket ruling final 12 months banning absentee poll drop packing containers.

The brand new liberal majority was making rapid modifications. Randy Koschnick, who as director of state courts has managed the statewide courtroom system for six years, mentioned he was knowledgeable Monday that he could be fired Tuesday afternoon.

Koschnick, a former county decide who ran for the state Supreme Court docket in 2009 with assist from conservatives however misplaced to a liberal incumbent, mentioned he was instructed by liberal Justice Jill Karfosky that he was being fired as a result of the courtroom was “shifting in a special course.”