Wisconsin Republicans threaten to impeach newly elected Democratic State Supreme Court justice: report

After winning the supermajority in Wisconsin's senate Tuesday, Republicans are already vying to impeach newly elected Democratic State Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz from the seat that she won Tuesday, April 4, NBC reports.

Per NBC, with this new power, the GOP senators "will have the ability to pursue removal proceedings of certain elected officials if the Assembly votes to impeach them."

State Republican Rep. Dan Knodl won the special election over Democratic attorney Jodi Habush Sinykin, according to NBC, which gives the GOP "even more power in that branch of the Wisconsin State Legislature."

READ MORE: Republicans win supermajority with Wisconsin Senate victory

Referring to the state senate's ability to impeach officials, Knodl told WISN-TV, "If there are some that are out there that are corrupt, that are failing at their tasks, then we have the opportunity to hold them accountable."

Knodl added, "Janet Protasiewicz is a Circuit Court judge right now in Milwaukee, and she has failed," noting he "would consider it" if his colleagues wanted to impeach her.

NBC reports:

Under the Wisconsin Constitution, the state Assembly can impeach with a simple majority 'all civil officers of this state for corrupt conduct in office, or for crimes and misdemeanors.' The Wisconsin Supreme Court has previously ruled that those civil officers include the governor, lieutenant governor and judges.

According to WISN-TV, Knodl doesn't believe impeachment "should be a Supreme Court decision."

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The Wisconsin GOP has heavily criticized Protasiewicz for supporting abortion rights, and for slamming her Republican opponent, "extremist" Dan Kelly, who she said was "vehemently anti-abortion and would, if elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, help enforce a pre-Civil War abortion ban that goes back to 1849."

NBC reports, "it remains unclear whether Knodl" would impeach the Democratic judge from her current "position on the Milwaukee Circuit Court, or whether he would also consider impeaching her" from her Supreme Court seat.

READ MORE: Abortion rights enjoy a double-digit victory in contentious Wisconsin Supreme Court race

NBC's full report is available at this link. WISN-TV'S report is here.