Vote NO on the Constitutional Amendment

Stand Up Blue Valley
1 day ago
2 min read

𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗲) 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝗴. 𝟰 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - 𝗡𝗢 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

The amendment was written by KS legislators 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗦 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 - namely, the Court has held that KsLeg must follow state law that says public education must be funded, and that the KS Constitution guarantees the right to bodily autonomy - even for women.

The current nonpartisan system for replacing retiring KS Supreme Court justices has been in place since 1958. A 9-member independent commission reviews applicants and selects three nominees; the governor chooses from those. 20 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴. According to KU Law professor Forrest James Robinson Jr.,“Kansas's process for the Kansas Supreme Court focuses on an applicant’s qualifications, fairness, and impartiality, rather than politics or popularity.”

Per the KS Bar Association: The Supreme Court Nominating Commission has nine members — one lawyer and one non-lawyer from each of the state’s four congressional districts plus an additional lawyer who serves as the commission’s chair. Lawyer members are elected by their peers (active Kansas attorneys), and non-lawyer members are appointed by the governor. The commission reviews all applicants, conducts 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴, and forwards three names to the governor. That entire process is conducted in full public view.

Kris Kobach was quoted in 2022 after Value Them Both was defeated: “This issue is not over”...he called for KsLeg to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to elect justices, so they can “slowly and quietly” remake the Court. Ty Masterson’s position: “Judicial selection reform has long been a priority” per the Wichita Eagle.

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝘅 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀.

Our courts should answer to the law — not to campaign donors and political parties. We’ve seen how determined dark money anti-tax organizations have been to spread anti-public education lies to elect legislators who will support tax cuts for their wealthy backers. 𝗣𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀. 𝗩𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗡𝗢 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄.

𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘗𝘢𝘮 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘶𝘬; 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥 below.