A Ripon College political science professor says the late U.S. Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia had a major impact during his time on the court. Scalia was the longest serving justice before his death this past weekend. Professor Marty Farrell says Scalia wielded great influence during his 30 years on the court. “He gave respectability to the notion of originalism, whether all of us agree with that, he definately gave it currency and he embided into many, many decisions,” Farrell told WFDL news. Responding to Republicans’ call for president Obama not to nominate a justice because there’s less than a year left in his term. Farrell points out that the Senate confirmed Supreme Court justice Anthony Kennedy in the final year of Ronald Reagan’s term in office although Senate Democrats voted against Reagan’s first choice. Farrell says not filling the vacancy creates the possibility of tie votes on a number of major issues that are on the docket for this year.
