Wisconsin prepares for critical state supreme court election

INCUMBENT MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT VALLAS HAS TALKED AN AWFUL LOT ABOUT CRIME IN CHICAGO DURING THIS CAMPAIGN. JOHNSON IS A FORMER PUBLIC JOHNSON IS A FORMER PUBLIC SCHOOLTEACHER AND A COOK COUNTY COMMISSIONER >>> IN WISCONSIN, VOTERS ARE PICKING THE STATE’S NEXT SUPREME COURT JUSTICE. COURT JUSTICE. THE RACE BETWEEN DANIEL KELLY AND JANET PRO TO PROTOSAY WITS AND JANET PRO TO PROTOSAY WITS LET’S BRING IN SHAQUILLE BRUCER, ER BREWSTER WHY IS IT SO SIGNIFICANT >> Reporter: WELL, THIS IS A BATTLE FOR CONTROL OF THE STATE SUPREME COURT HERE IN WISCONSIN. AS YOU MENTIONED RIGHT NOW AND FOR

THE PAST 15 YEARS REALLY, THIS IS A COURT THAT HAS BEEN CONTROLLED BY CONSERVATIVE JUSTICES THIS IS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY FOR LIBERALS IN THIS STATE TO FLIP THE BALANCE OF THIS COURT IN NEARLY 15 YEARS AND THIS IS A COURT THAT HAS BEEN AT THE CENTER OF SOME TRULY CONTROVERSIAL RULINGS JUST IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A COURT THAT JUST MONTHS INTO THE PANDEMIC STRUCK DOWN COVID RESTRICTIONS, THAT AFTER THE 2020 ELECTION BANNED THE USE OF DROP BOXES THAT IN THE REDIRECTING BATTLE SIDED WITH REPUBLICAN MAPS THAT HAVE GIVEN REPUBLICANS IN

THIS STATE DOMINANT CONTROL OVER THE LEGISLATURE. SO DEMOCRATS AND LIBERALS IN THIS STATE SEE THIS AS A KEY OPPORTUNITY TO WHAT THEY SAY RESTORE BALANCE IN THIS STATE, WHILE REPUBLICANS

AND CONSERVATIVES SEE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY LOCK THE POWER THAT THEY HAVE HAD IN THE STATE FOR OVER A DECADE. THEN THERE’S THE ISSUE OF ABORTION HERE IN WISCONSIN ABORTION HAS BEEN EFFECTIVELY BANNED SINCE THE OVERTURNING OF ROE, WHICH SNAPPED BACK INTO EFFECT AN 1849 LAW THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT’S LIKELY TO COME BEFORE THE COURT IF YOU LOOK AT CAMPAIGN ADS, THIS ISSUE

HAS BEEN A TOP MESSAGING POINT FOR BOTH SIDES, BOTH CAMPAIGNS POINTING THIS OUT. I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO MY CONVERSATIONS WITH BOTH CAMPAIGNS STARTING WITH PROTOSAY WITS, WHO WASN’T ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. SHE’S BEEN SICK. THEN LISTEN TO MY CONVERSATION WITH DAN KELLY >> THIS IS OFFICIALLY A NONPARTISAN ELECTION BUT WHY DOESN’T IT FEEL THAT WAY? >> IT’S A NONPARTISAN ELECTION, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES LIKELY TO COME BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT THAT PEOPLE CARE ABOUT, ABORTION, THE MAPS AND GERRYMANDERING, LGBTQ RIGHTS, A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE ALL CARE ABOUT. >> I

THINK IT’S THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL. I THINK THE REASON PEOPLE ARE PAYING ATTENTION IS BECAUSE THERE ARE SUCH DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED VIEWS OF WHAT THE COURT IS SUPPOSED TO DO. >> Reporter: THE LIBERAL JUSTICE HAS SAID THAT DEMOCRACY IS AT STAKE IN THIS ELECTION, NOT JUST POINTING TO REDIRECTING BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR ELECTION CHALLENGES IN 2024, ALSO WHAT THOSE RULES WILL LOOK LIKE HERE IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION THAT’S WHY YOU HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE WATCHING THIS RACE.