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.

Conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn's recusal puts the focus on whether liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz will also step away from the Act 10 case.

Hagedorn's recusal marks a major blow to Republicans' hopes of a favorable ruling in their quest to uphold the 2011 law that gutted public sector collective bargaining in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Supreme Court general election set to be held in April will determine ideological control of the court.

Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel bring their political histories — and partisan backers —to the race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Two of Wisconsin's conservative supreme court justices say the liberal majority is playing politics. The liberal-majority court last week agreed to accept the case that will decide how $50 million in literacy money put into the current state budget will be spent.

Both campaigns are trying to use the issue to define Brad Schimel, the former Republican attorney general and a current Waukesha County judge.