1. United States
2. Kan.
3. Letter

I am writing to you to ask you to please vote no on SCR 1611. SCR 1611 isn’t about fairness. It’s not about justice. It’s about selling off the Supreme Court to the highest bidder. Once we put a "For Sale" sign on the Kansas Supreme Court, we may never get justice back. Keep politics out of our Courts • There is no place for politics in the courts. • Justices and judges must be free to rule based on the law. • The Supreme Court selection process should be outside the political arena. • We need a Court that can make decisions fairly, regardless of the politics, to uphold the Kansas Constitution and protect our Kansas freedoms. • Our organization strongly supports the Supreme Court Nominating Commission. It remains the best method to select Justices for the Kansas Supreme Court. Strength of the Supreme Court Nominating Commission Process • The Nominating Commission is a non-partisan group of citizens who have one job – to select the top three most qualified applicants for a Supreme Court vacancy and send them to the governor for a final selection. • The current process has stood the test of time and ensures we qualified nominees for the Court. • The Supreme Court Nominating Commission is the best system to protect judicial freedom and the separation of powers. Kansas Legislature’s Overreach • The Supreme Court Nominating Commission consists of lawyers and community members selecting finalists based on their qualifications and experience. • The State Legislature wants to change this system to gain control over the Kansas Supreme Court. • The court is an equal branch of government. It’s job is to uphold the Kansas Constitution and protect Kansas freedoms. Election of judges not working in other states • Popular elections and Senate confirmations inject politics into our Court system. The Nominating Commission has kept politics out. • Examples from other states: o Wisconsin: Over $51 million spent on a Supreme Court election, with $45 million in dark money from outside the state. o Arkansas: Faces judicial gridlock due to elected Supreme Court Justices. • In Kansas, the Nominating Commission prevents shadow organizations from buying a Supreme Court seat. • Electing Justices risks making decisions based on elections rather than law. The Supreme Court has a constitutional obligation to consider cases in the interest of all Kansans who appear before them. Importance of Keeping Politics Out of the Judiciary • The judicial branch is different from the legislative and executive branches and must be free from political influence. • Justices must consider cases in the interest of all Kansans, not political agendas. • Courts oversee vital community programs, including: o Drug diversion programs o Children in Need of Care services o Veterans courts o Mental health initiatives • Political interference will create gridlock and harm the implementation of these critical, community programs.