A handful of Democrats joined Assembly GOP members to pass legislation withholding pay from judges accused of a crime.
Three Democrats – Rep. Steve Doyle of Onalaska, Rep. Jenna Jacobson of Oregon and Rep. Tara Johnson of Shelby – crossed party lines to send AB 380 to the Senate on a 57-42 vote.
The bill would withhold pay for judges who are temporarily suspended by the state Supreme Court for alleged criminal misconduct.
Judges would be entitled to back pay for the duration of their suspension if the Supreme Court declines to discipline the judge.
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The bill was introduced following the arrest of former Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan on charges she impeded federal immigration officers in the courthouse. Dugan resigned earlier this month following her conviction for felony obstruction.
In a press conference ahead of the vote, bill sponsor Rep. Shae Sortwell, R-Two Rivers, charged that Dugan had enjoyed an “extended vacation” between her suspension and resignation after her conviction, and said the bill would prevent future misuse of taxpayer dollars.
“If another judge decides to do this, they shouldn’t be able to collect their pay, hundreds of thousands of dollars, while that case is pending,” Sortwell said on the floor.
Rep. Andrew Hysell, D-Sun Prairie, noted critically that the Supreme Court had not invoked the statute named in the bill to suspend Dugan and thus the legislation would not have impacted her situation, a point that Sortwell conceded.
“I understand that certain bills are meant to convey certain messages to the public, but even a messaging bill should have some arguable connection to the underlying problem that it supposedly fixes,” Hysell said.
