east metro

The Wisconsin Legislature has approved a bill that would add a circuit judge in fast-growing St. Croix County.

The county, which currently has three judges, ranked ninth in counties statewide in workloads per judge, according to a news release from state Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, and two other area legislators, Rep. Kitty Rhoades, R-Hudson, and Rep. John Murtha, R-Baldwin.

The bill passed the State Assembly 94-2 and the State Senate 25-7 and is now before Gov. Jim Doyle to sign into law. The previous time a Wisconsin judgeship was created was in 2000 for one in Waupaca, the legislators said.

The county ranks first in percentage growth in Wisconsin.

KEVIN GILES