After passing the bills out of committee last week, state legislators passed two bills to address the selection process of the Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court and another to limit recall elections.

In response to recall attempts aimed at Gov. Scott Walker and other state senators in 2011 and 2012, the bill would not allow recall elections unless the officials had been charged with a crime or ethics violation. 

The bill passed 53-39 on a party line vote, minus Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, voting against the bill with the Democrats.

Rep. Fred Kessler, D-Milwaukee, said the bill would remove “the democratic right of people to be heard.”

Kessler added voters should have a choice whether to recall or not.

Those in favor of the bill argued recall elections need to possible, but must be regulated more strictly.

Rep. Jim Steineke, R–Kaukauna, said citizens deserve the right to remove an official who needs to be removed.

Republican legislators also passed a revised voter ID bill that would loosen the photo ID requirement for voters that are too poor to get an ID, have a religious exemption to having their photo taken or cannot obtain the proper documents to get an ID.

The bill passed 54-38 along party lines.

Kessler said he could not be silent as the bill came up for a vote, saying, “I have not seen a bill that is as evil as this bill.”

Kessler, along with other Democratic assembly members, said the bill would reduce the number of people who can vote, especially the number of poor, black, and elderly people who vote.

Legislators also voted to pass a constitutional amendment to change the process of selecting the Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. 

Since Wisconsin gained statehood in 1848, the chief justice title of the Supreme Court has always been given to the most senior member of the court.

However, according to the amendment, the chief justice would be elected by the current members of the Supreme Court, rather than given to the most senior member.

Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D – Kenosha, said Republicans want to amend the Constitution to get a new chief justice to replace current chief justice, Shirley Abrahamson, a left-leaning judge.

In light of the accusation, Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, R-Fond du Lac, said the amendment was not created to address Abrahamson.

“Longevity in office does not equate with quality of leadership,” Thiesfeldt said.

Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, said the amendment is another way for Republicans to “rig” the government.

“If you pass this [amendment] today, the welcome sign at our state border should read, ‘Wisconsin, the best government that the Republicans can rig,'” Taylor said.

The amendment must clear the legislature again next session and be passed by Wisconsin voters before taking effect.