The Kansas Senate is delaying work on a bill that would expand powers to impeach Kansas Supreme Court justices. As KPR’s Stephen Koranda reports, this comes after Supreme Court rulings that some lawmakers don’t like.
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The expanded power to impeach Kansas Supreme Court justice was included in an otherwise administrative bill. Right when debate started, there was a motion to strip out the impeachment language. Republican Senator Mitch Holmes questioned the move. He says lawmakers have been lulled into thinking that the court is superior to the Legislature.
“It’s time that we, as the elected body, assert ourselves in certain circumstances. We are part of the checks and balances,” said Holmes.
Holmes got on board when the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said they’ll still get to the topic, with hearings on the impeachment proposal next week.
Under the Constitution, justices can be impeached for reasons like treason and bribery. Under the proposal, that would be expanded to include other reasons like usurping the power of the Legislature or governor.