Wisconsin Question 2, Legislative Removal of Judges Amendment (April 1974)

Wisconsin Question 2
Election date April 2, 1974
Topic State judiciary and State legislative vote requirements
Status Approved
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

Wisconsin Question 2 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Wisconsin on April 2, 1974. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported amending the constitution to allow the legislature to remove judges with a two-thirds vote.

A "no" vote opposed amending the constitution to allow the legislature to remove judges with a two-thirds vote.

Election results

Wisconsin Question 2
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		493,496	71.80%
No		193,867	28.20%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Question 2 was as follows:

“

Shall section 13 of article VII of the constitution be amended to empower the legislature, by vote of two·thirds of the members elected to each house, to remove county and municipal judges for cause in accordance with procedures established by law?

”

Constitutional changes

(Article VII) Section 13. Any judge of the supreme or, circuit, county or municipal court may be removed from office by address of both houses of the legislature, if two·thirds of all the members elected to each house concur therein, but no removal shall be made by virtue of this section unless the judge complained of shall have been served with a copy of the charges against him, as the ground of address, and shall have had an opportunity of being heard in his defense. On the question of removal, the ayes and noes shall be entered on the journals.

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Wisconsin Constitution

A simple majority vote is required during two legislative sessions for the Wisconsin State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 50 votes in the Wisconsin State Assembly and 17 votes in the Wisconsin State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

See also

1974 Measures

• 1974 Measures
• State legislatures measures on the ballot
• State judiciary on the ballot
• State legislative vote requirements on the ballot
• 1974 legislative sessions

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin ballot measures
• Wisconsin ballot measure laws

News and analysis

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• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls