U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Butler Again

WASHINGTON D.C. (Midwest Communications) - The U.S. Senate’s Judiciary Committee voted for a second time Thursday to recommend the confirmation of Louis Butler as a Wisconsin federal judge. The vote was 12 to 7, with all Democrats voting yes and all Republicans voting no. It was the same margin as last December, before Republicans used a procedural maneuver to return Butler’s nomination to the White House at the end of last year. Conservative groups criticize Butler – a former State Supreme Court justice – as a liberal activist.

But according to WisPolitics.Com, Wisconsin Democrat Herb Kohl told the committee that Butler has fine qualities of “intelligence, diligence, humility, and integrity.” And Kohl said he’s confident Butler will serve the western half of Wisconsin well. If confirmed, Butler will replace the retired federal judge John Shabaz of Madison.