Don’t be misled by the slick campaign ads saying Amendment 2 "protects your right to vote on judges" and "adds new accountability" "so we have fair and impartial judges.” Sounds good at first blush, right? If you think by passing this amendment, in the future voters will see Appellate and Supreme Court names on the ballot, think again. The amendment deletes the sentences: The judges of the Supreme Court shall be elected by the qualified voters of the state. The Legislature shall have power to prescribe such rules as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of section two of this article.”
If this amendment passes, appointment of these judges will rest solely in the hands of the governor, with confirmation by the legislature. Those confirmed will automatically assume the Bench, and only 8 years later will we vote to “retain” them. We will NOT be voting for their initial appointment. Make no mistake, this amendment does NOT give accountability. Folks, our judicial system should be free from influence of special interest groups and those seeking to line their own pockets by stacking the Appellate and Supreme Court.
Remember, “…shall be elected by the qualified voters of the state” is DELETED entirely by this amendment!! If the true intent was for voters directly to elect Appellate and Supreme Court judges, the amendment would contain that language. It does not!
Let’s not hand our government the keys to the judicial kingdom. I urge you to vote NO to Amendment 2. Send a strong message to our government – for the second time this year – our judicial system is not for sale!
Voting NO ensures “we have fair and impartial judges”!
Sheila Wilson