Money and Judges are not a good mix. With the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, unlimited money has significantly assisted a far right takeover of both the legislative and executive branches of Kansas government. With that financial and elected clout, potential changes are in the mix to make major alterations to how judges are selected and to take away the constitutional commitment to public education.
In addition, an effort is being made to lower the age for mandatory retirement, making it possible to add a new majority to the Kansas Supreme Court in a very short time. That means in a few years, Kansas could have in place an extreme set of judges who are totally outside the general thinking of most Kansans. And it would not surprise me if--as a final blow--once these judges are in place, the lower retirement age would be amended back or adjusted to simply allow for lifetime service.
Do we really want a judicial system where not only would big money and partisan politics select our highest judges but potentially influence the outcome of court proceedings as well? It is clear in the current discussion that proponents are openly driven by the desire to have judges that will implement far right positions. Personally, I prefer judges who impartially listen and weigh the evidence before making a decision.
Even if the shoe were on the other foot, I’m confident that my rational position would not change. I just want us to stay with a system that has worked for over fifty years under both Republican and Democratic Governors. Again, if it isn’t broken, why fix it?
In addition, an effort is being made to lower the age for mandatory retirement, making it possible to add a new majority to the Kansas Supreme Court in a very short time. That means in a few years, Kansas could have in place an extreme set of judges who are totally outside the general thinking of most Kansans. And it would not surprise me if--as a final blow--once these judges are in place, the lower retirement age would be amended back or adjusted to simply allow for lifetime service.
Do we really want a judicial system where not only would big money and partisan politics select our highest judges but potentially influence the outcome of court proceedings as well? It is clear in the current discussion that proponents are openly driven by the desire to have judges that will implement far right positions. Personally, I prefer judges who impartially listen and weigh the evidence before making a decision.
Even if the shoe were on the other foot, I’m confident that my rational position would not change. I just want us to stay with a system that has worked for over fifty years under both Republican and Democratic Governors. Again, if it isn’t broken, why fix it?
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