Conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice steps aside in pivotal union rights case

A conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice will not participate in a pending case that will determine whether tens of thousands of public sector workers regain collective bargaining rights that were taken away by a 2011 law. Justice Brian Hagedorn drafted the law, known as Act 10, when he was chief legal counsel for then-Gov. Scott Walker. His decision Thursday to recuse himself from the case leaves the court with four liberal justices and two conservatives. The Republican-controlled Legislature earlier this week asked that liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz not hear the case also. She has not responded to that request.