1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

I urge you to oppose SCR 1040, sponsored by Senator TJ Shope, which would ask voters to amend the Arizona Constitution to raise the mandatory retirement age for judges from 70 to 75 years. This proposal disregards the clear will of Arizona voters and contradicts national sentiment on age limits for judicial positions. Arizona voters already rejected a nearly identical ballot measure in 2012 by a decisive margin of nearly 3 to 1. That overwhelming defeat demonstrated that Arizonans believe the current retirement age of 70 strikes the right balance between experience and ensuring fresh perspectives on the bench. There is no evidence that voter sentiment has shifted in favor of extending judicial tenure. National polling reinforces this position. Three in four Americans support maximum age limits for Supreme Court justices, with even higher numbers favoring age limits for lawmakers. These numbers reflect widespread concern about the concentration of power among aging officials and the need for judicial systems that reflect contemporary society. The timing and motivation behind SCR 1040 raise serious concerns about whether this proposal serves the public interest or simply aims to keep specific judges in their positions longer. Moving the goalposts on mandatory retirement undermines the principle that constitutional provisions should be stable and reflect broad consensus rather than narrow political objectives. Arizona's courts function effectively under the current age 70 retirement requirement. The state has a robust system for retired judges to continue serving when called back to active duty, ensuring that judicial experience remains available without eliminating mandatory retirement altogether. This existing framework already addresses any concerns about losing experienced jurists. I ask you to vote against SCR 1040 in the Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee. Arizona voters spoke clearly on this issue in 2012, and their decision should be respected. Our judicial system benefits from the regular infusion of new perspectives that mandatory retirement at age 70 provides.