SCS/SJR 9 -This constitutional amendment, if approved by the voters, would modify the procedures by which the Governor selects judges. It would also modify the membership of the Appellate Judicial Commission and Circuit Judicial Commission and make appointments to both commissions subject to the approval by the majority of the Senate. Members of the Circuit Judicial Commission would serve for a four year term. Upon passage of this amendment, the terms of all members of the Appellate Judicial Commission and Circuit Judicial Commission would automatically expire.
Also, the Governor would have the authority, within sixty days of taking office, to remove members of the commissions who were appointed by the previous Governor, except for those commission members elected by the members of the Missouri bar.
Additionally, the list of applicants for judicial appointments would be a public record and posted on the supreme court's website. Nominees submitted to the Governor would be subject to a background check, which is not a public record, but must be available to the commission and the governor.
All information available to the commission would have to be made available to the Governor. All hearings, debates and votes would be open to the public, and would require seventy-two hours public notice. Only sessions limited to certain subjects would be closed to the public.
The procedures for all elections provided for in Section 25 of the Missouri Constitution will be established by the commission.
The commission will also certify expenses to the commissioner of administration, who will approve the expenses of administering the nonpartisan court plan.
This amendment is similar to SS/HCS/HJR 10 (2009).
EMILY KALMER