Rep. Chris Taylor appointed Dane Co. Circuit Court judge

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Gov. Tony Evers has appointed Democratic State Representative Chris Taylor to the Dane County Circuit Court.

Taylor will replace Dane County Circuit Court Judge Jill Karofsky starting Aug. 1. Karofsky won a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in April, defeating Justice Dan Kelly.

Taylor was first elected to the Assembly in 2011 in a special election and has served five terms. The Madison Democrat has been a vocal critic of state Republicans, speaking out against the lame-duck laws giving the Legislature oversight of Attorney General Josh Kaul’s legal negotiations and calling for tighter gun control laws, among other issues.

Before entering the Legislature, Taylor was the public policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. She was in private practice from 1996 to 2003, specializing in family law and civil litigation.

In a statement, Taylor said she’ll use her experience to ensure equal access to justice in an impartial, independent forum.

Taylor is a UW Law School graduate. She is also the recipient of the Good Government Award from the Center for Families, the Children’s Champion Policy Award from the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, and the Social Innovation Award by Madison Magazine.