WI Judicial Commission should maintain independence

You probably haven’t spent much time thinking about the Wisconsin Judicial Commission. But this independent body does important work, serving as the watchdog over our judicial system. The Commission investigates judges who are accused of misconduct and can order disciplinary procedures. They investigate some 500 complaints each year involving state and municipal judges. They operate under a modest $300,000 a year budget, and has helped ensure our judicial system operates fairly. But our Governor wants to change the whole setup. He wants to remove the independence from this commission, and have the watchdog group funded and administered by the state Supreme Court. The very court that the Wisconsin Judicial Commission is designed to investigate. And has, bringing ethics complaints against three members of the current Supreme Court. Who would now be the bosses of this independent commission. Awkward. Talk about a conflict of interest. This move would not help the commission become more efficient, nor would it save taxpayers money. This power play should be rejected by our legislators when the Governor’s budget is slapped on their desks.