August 11, 2005

The W$J editorializes on the disastrous pair of decisions handed down by the Wisconsin Supreme Court the other week, the one striking down the state's duly enacted law limiting malpractice recoveries as having no "rational basis", and the other creating a new and unprecedented opening for the filing of lawsuits against companies that long ago manufactured lead pigments for paint:

The dual rulings pose a challenge to Wisconsin's politicians, who have essentially been overruled by a four-person judicial legislature. GOP Congressman Mark Green is already making this part of his campaign for Governor, while Democratic Governor Jim Doyle has yet to make a firm public statement. The implications for Wisconsin's economy, which depends both on health care and manufacturing, are enormous. The last thing Wisconsin needs is a reputation as a cold-weather Alabama.