judgesonmerit.org

Folks are talking about Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Merit Selection.  The Legal Intelligencer ran a front page article about the hearing, quoting many who testified and noting that Senator Jane Earll plans to reintroduce the legislation in the new session beginning in January 2009. The Legal reported that Merit Selection supporters “argued that while politics can’t be taken out of the judicial selection process, an appointed system will lessen the sway of partisan politics over judicial candidates who must decide judicial controversies impartially.”  The Legal also noted that:

[N]o rights would be taken away in this proposal because Pennsylvania voters will ultimately have the right to approve or disapprove the proposal if the merit selection bill passes both legislative houses in two consecutive sessions, said Lynn Marks, executive director of PMC; Gene Barr, vice president for government relations at the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry; and Edward Lanza, an attorney with Saul Ewing and a member of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Central Pennsylvania’s board.

Our Coalition partner the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry posted this account of the hearing, quoting the testimony of Vice President Gene Barr:

In order to command the absolute respect and confidence of the public at large in an independent, non-partisan judiciary, Pennsylvania needs to move from a partisan election approach driven by special interests and money to one that is based upon one’s qualifications.

And check out Gavel Grab’s post about the hearing.

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