The anti-abortion rally at the Kansas Statehouse. (Photo by Stephen Koranda)
The group Kansans for Life says it will push to change how state Supreme Court justices are selected. The announcement came at today’s (WED) anti-abortion rally at the Kansas Statehouse. A proposal last year would have allowed the governor to select candidates for the court, pending confirmation by the state Senate. That bill passed the Kansas Senate but did not get a vote in the House. Kathy Ostrowski, with Kansans for Life, says they’ll be working on outreach to members of the House.
Currently, a nominating commission selects Supreme Court candidates and the governor is presented with three choices. Critics of the current system say it gives too much power to attorneys, who hold a majority of the commission’s seats. Opponents of changing the system say it would introduce politics into the selection process.