Supreme Court race intensifies

Incumbent Supreme Court Justice Jon Wilcox was one of the leaders of a 1971 attempt to kill a bill banning companies from firing pregnant employees, according to news accounts this week.

Wilcox, who was in the Assembly at the time, voted several times to delay or kill Assembly Bill 465, which was amended to apply only to public school teachers.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Wisconsin State Journal reported on March 26 that Wilcox' voting record became an issue in a debate between Wilcox and challenger Walter Kelly in Milwaukee.

Kelly said Wilcox cast six votes against the measure; and asked Wilcox if he still supported discrimination against women.

After the debate, Kelly said he brought up the 26-year old issue because Wilcox has criticized him for positions on criminal justice he took in 1972. Kelly said it was unfair for Wilcox to attack him on positions he held so long ago.

Posted March 26, 1997