The Sconi

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) is urging his constituents to vote for Justice Dan Kelly, rather than Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz, to serve on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and ensure gun owners’ rights are protected.

“During my time in the state Legislature, my fellow Republicans and I fought tooth-and-nail to bring groundbreaking conservative policy changes to the state of Wisconsin,” Tiffany wrote in a March 14 tweet. “However, these conservative reforms are in danger of being overturned by the radical left and out-of-state coastal elites. New York and California billionaires are pumping millions of dollars into this Supreme Court race to prop up a far-left judge who will attempt to bring California values to the Badger State. If this radical judge is elected, not only will all our hard work from the past decade be erased, but this liberal activist court will make the state a laboratory of the far left.”

Gun Sense Voter, a project of the national gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety, is hosting a phone bank on Saturday, March 25, to text voters about the state Supreme Court race. On the signup page for the event, Gun Sense Voter highlights the importance of the race for their issues and makes the claim that Protasiewicz, if elected to the court, will "fight back against extremism."

The Wisconsin Supreme Court's current composition is such that the election of Protasiewicz to the open seat would create a 4-3 majority for the liberal wing of the court. Pro-gun control groups have descended on Wisconsin in support of Protasiewicz, which has caused concern among gun owners that Wisconsin's concealed-carry and Castle Doctrine laws could be challenged and overturned.

Wisconsin Act 35 was signed into law in 2011 and allowed for licensed people to carry concealed firearms in public places and legally permitted people without a license to carry a concealed firearm in their home or place of business. As recently as last year, the Wisconsin Supreme Court heard a case that directly dealt with concealed carry, and the court ultimately chose to expand concealed carry, according to AP News.

Also in 2011, the Wisconsin Legislature enacted Wisconsin Act 94, which instituted Castle Doctrine law. Castle Doctrine allows citizens to defend themselves against persons unlawfully or forcibly entering their home, motor vehicle or place of business.

The Wisconsin Right Now blog writes of Castle Doctrine: "Expect the left to target this law."

Protasiewicz has been under fire for being "soft on crime" for the light sentences she's handed out in her current role as a judge in Milwaukee County. This includes her sentencing of Elijah Combs, who was indicted on four felony charges, of which Protasiewicz dismissed three. The remaining charge of battery carried a six-year prison sentence; however, Protasiewicz decided to stay the sentence and instead placed Combs on three-year probation. While on probation, Combs murdered Aliyah Perez, the niece of Milwaukee Common Council President Jose Perez.

While Protasiewicz has received the endorsement of pro-gun control groups who claim that she will "fight extremism," her opponent has received the endorsement of the Milwaukee Police Association, according to WisPolitics. Of the endorsement, Kelly slammed Protasiewicz as a "judicial activist" and said, "The men and women of the Milwaukee Police Association know that we must not allow the rule of law to be replaced by the rule of Janet."