An Act to amend 752.03 of the statutes; Relating to: eliminating a judgeship from district IV of the court of appeals and establishing an additional judgeship for district III of the court of appeals.
Summary
AB144 would change the size and distribution of Wisconsin Court of Appeals judgeships. It reduces the number of judges in District IV by eliminating one judgeship when the incumbent’s term expires on July 31, 2026, and creates a new judgeship in District III effective August 1, 2026. As a result, the bill would keep the statewide total at 16 court of appeals judges while shifting one seat from District IV to District III.
The bill also sets the timing for the new District III seat’s first election. The initial election for the fourth District III judge would occur at the spring 2026 election, with the term beginning August 1, 2026 and ending July 31, 2032. The statutory amendment to s. 752.03 would reflect the new district allocation of judgeships, and the nonstatutory provisions would govern the transition for the eliminated and newly created seats.
Impact
AB144 would amend Wisconsin’s court of appeals structure by reallocating judicial resources among appellate districts without increasing the total number of judges. It would affect s. 752.03 of the statutes and related district provisions governing how many judges are elected from each appellate district. The practical effect would be to reduce judicial capacity in District IV and expand it in District III, changing the geographic distribution of appellate judges and the election schedule for the new seat.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee testimony, recorded votes, or floor debate on the bill, so there is no documented public sentiment from discussion. The bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1, indicating it did not advance to enactment despite being introduced and referred to committee.
Contention
The main point of contention implied by the bill is the redistribution of one judgeship from District IV to District III. That kind of change can affect regional representation, caseload balance, and political control of appellate seats, so stakeholders in the affected districts may have different views on whether the shift is justified. However, because no transcripts or votes are provided, the specific arguments for or against the proposal are not documented in the available materials.
Crossfiled
An Act to amend 752.03 of the statutes; Relating to: eliminating a judgeship from district IV of the court of appeals and establishing an additional judgeship for district III of the court of appeals.