Janet Protasiewicz sworn in as Supreme Court justice, ushering in an ideological shift

MADISON – The Wisconsin Supreme Court is now controlled by a liberal majority following the ceremonial swearing-in of Janet Protasiewicz on Tuesday at the state Capitol.

Protasiewicz, 60, was elected to a 10-year term in April after running a campaign that focused heavily on broadcasting her personal values to voters, including support for abortion access and a belief that the state's electoral maps are "rigged" — while asserting that those values would not offer a guarantee as to how she would rule in a particular case.

"We all want a Wisconsin where our freedoms are protected. We want a Wisconsin with a fair and impartial Supreme Court. We all want to live in communities that are safe. And we all want a Wisconsin where everyone is afforded equal justice under the law," Protasiewicz said during remarks delivered Tuesday evening in the Capitol rotunda.

"That’s why I don’t take this responsibility lightly. Just as I have throughout my entire legal and judicial career, I am committed to protecting our freedoms and I’m committed to fairness and impartiality in our justice system. It’s not only what the people of Wisconsin expect, it’s what they deserve, and what the oath I have taken demands."

The former Milwaukee County judge replaces conservative former Chief Justice Patience Roggensack, who retired after two decades on the state's high court. A number of issues, from union rights to redistricting to abortion to election laws, are likely to make their way before the court in the coming months and years.

The race between Protasiewicz and conservative former state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, whom she defeated by 11 points, was the most expensive judicial contest in U.S. history. Spending tallies from the nationally spotlighted election have surpassed $50 million. It was widely seen as a referendum on abortion access, as the state's 1849 law effectively banning abortion was reactivated less than a year beforehand under the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

"Wisconsinites should brace themselves for an era of hyper-partisanship brought on by Protasiewicz and her allies as they use the courts to implement their partisan policy agenda," Republican Party of Wisconsin spokeswoman Rachel Reisner said in a statement. "Though the role of the Wisconsin Supreme Court is to interpret the laws of Wisconsin as they’re written, regardless of political beliefs, Protasiewicz has promised to put her thumb on the scales of justice and disregard the Constitution or laws on the books whenever she desires."

More: There's big change coming to Wisconsin Supreme Court. Here's an inside look at the justices.

In a recent interview on WISN-TV's "Upfront," conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn — who has served as a key swing vote on the court — said there "certainly is going to be some shift in judicial philosophy" after Protasiewicz is sworn in.

"Every time you have a new member of the court, the court really changes," Hagedorn told WISN-TV. "It's seven people working together, and so the way that person thinks, that background and experience that they bring to the table, their own sense of how we work together in community, collegiality, all affects the way we operate, all affects the culture of the court."

Protasiewicz was not available for an interview.

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Tyler Katzenberger of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Janet Protasiewicz sworn in as Wisconsin Supreme Court justice