Kansas, Vote Yes on Amendment 1: Take Back Power from the Insiders

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Voters, not lawyers, should choose the judges who serve on the Kansas Supreme Court. But under the current system, nominees for the state supreme court are picked by a group of political insiders. The Left is using this system to make sure they control the courts, even though registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats by 2 to 1 in Kansas.

Vote YES on Amendment 1, the Judicial Selection Amendment, to give Kansans a voice in selecting their Supreme Court judges.

Voting is the most democratic way to choose judges. Studies show that voting also leads to more representative judges (conservative judges get elected in conservative states) because elections provide an opportunity for people to learn what positions the judge holds. Studies also show that attorneys, as a group, lean left-of-center. In other words, when attorneys, instead of voters, pick the judges, these judges tilt Left.

The Kansas Constitution begins with a simple truth:

"All power is inherent in the people."

That principle shouldn't stop at the courthouse door or behind closed doors at the governor’s mansion. It should be honored when it comes to choosing judges, who will be making decisions that affect almost every aspect of your life.

The people of Kansas deserve to have a voice and a vote.

And that’s exactly how it was done for the first 100 years of statehood. The people of Kansas elected state supreme court judges.

But in 1958 the process was changed from direct voting by the people to nominations by a small group of political insiders.

Since then, the people of Kansas have had very little influence over who sits on the state supreme court.

How the current system works:

Kansas Supreme Court nominees are selected by a committee of 9 members.
The 9 members consist of five lawyers appointed by the Kansas Bar and four political appointees chosen by the governor.
When there is a vacancy on the court, the committee makes 3 nominations to fill the vacancy.
From those three nominations, the governor appoints one to sit on the court.

This system eliminates the election process while centralizing and concentrating power within a small group of political elites.

This leaves Kansas voters without a voice.

But on August 4, Kansans will have the opportunity to VOTE YES on Amendment 1 and reclaim their rights.

If you believe voters should be able to elect judges that align with their values, VOTE YES on Amendment 1: the Judicial Selection Amendment.