TESTIMONY MUST BE SUBMITTED BEFORE 3/12/25 AT 2:30 PM IN ORDER TO BE ACCEPTED!

Answer all prompts below to submit your written testimony opposing SCR 1611. Your responses will be emailed to the Kansas House Committee on Judiciary assistant as your written testimony. Please email [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns!

About SCR 1611: Proposing a constitutional amendment to provide for direct election of supreme court justices and abolish the supreme court nominating commission.

Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 1611 proposes an amendment to the Kansas Constitution to fundamentally change the way Kansas Supreme Court justices are selected. The amendment would eliminate the Supreme Court Nominating Commission, establish direct elections for justices, and allow justices to engage in political activity.

The proposed changes in Kansas's SCR 1611 – which include the direct, partisan election of Supreme Court justices, the abolition of the nominating commission, and the removal of restrictions on political activity – are unique and not fully mirrored in any other state. While some states do elect their Supreme Court justices through partisan elections, the explicit allowance for justices to engage in political activities, such as holding office in political parties and participating in political campaigns, is highly uncommon.

In Kansas, we don’t have to worry about shadow organizations trying to buy a Justice of our Supreme
Court. Popular elections, by their nature, create incentives to consider election outcomes instead of
questions of law, and potentially undermine the ability of justices to be impartial and transparent.

The judicial branch is different from the legislative and executive branches of government. Justices have a constitutional obligation to consider cases in the interest of all Kansans who appear before them. They must have greater protections from improper influence than any other constitutional officers.

This testimony form is a joint effort by Loud Light, ACLU of Kansas, and Loud Light Civic Action. By signing up, you are agreeing that these nonprofit organizations and the public officials you are contacting may contact you via email. If you would like to submit testimony outside of this form, please visit kslegislature.org and visit the committee page for more information.