Vote expected on plan to protect 2 Arizona supreme court justices from losing their seats
Arizona House is expected to vote on a measure that would protect two Arizona Supreme Court justices from being voted off the bench in November. Republicans are planning to introduce a bill to prevent two Arizona Supreme Court justices, Clint Bolick and Kathryn King, from potentially losing their seats. The bill, SCR 1044, would nullify the results of this year's retention election, allowing them to remain on the bench even if voters voted them out of office. It would also temporarily scrap retention elections in the near future, making judicial appointments lifelong. Currently, state supreme court justices face retention elections every six years, while superior court judges have four-year terms. If passed by both chambers, the bill would bypass Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and head to the November ballot.
gepubliceerd : 10 maanden geleden door Dennis Welch, David Baker in Politics
PHOENIX (AZFamily)— Republicans are moving forward with a plan that could prevent a pair of Arizona Supreme Court justices and other state judges from potentially losing their seats.
Clint Bolick and Kathryn King face retention elections this fall, and both ruled in favor of reinstating the 1864 near-total abortion ban earlier this year.
They’ll be on the ballot in November, where voters can decide whether they keep their jobs.
On Wednesday, the Arizona House is scheduled to potentially vote on SCR 1044 and send it to the ballot.
If passed by the voters, it contains a clause that would nullify the results of this year’s retention election, meaning Bolick and King would stay on the bench even if the voters voted them out of office.
The proposal would also temporarily scrap retention elections in the near future, making judicial appointments basically lifelong terms as long as they have good behavior.
Currently, state supreme court justices face retention elections every six years.
A regular term for an appellate court judge is six years, while superior court judges have four-year terms.
SCR 1044 would have Supreme Court justices be evaluated every four years.
Two years ago, Arizona Supreme Court Justice Bill Montgomery narrowly kept his seat, so there is concern that these two justices could lose their retention election this year, especially now that there is an active campaign to remove them.
Sen. David Gowan, a Republican from Sierra Vista, introduced the bill in February. In March, it passed the Senate on a party-line 16-14 vote.
Justice Bolick’s wife, GOP Sen. Shawnna Bolick, voted part of the 16 votes to approve it.
If the House passes SCR 1044 on Wednesday, it will have to go back to the Senate for a second time since changes were made to the proposal in the House.
Sen. Shawnna Bolick could vote on it for a second time. Arizona has broad conflict of interest laws.
Legislators tell Arizona’s Family that proposed amendments are coming but wouldn’t detail what those are.
If SCR 1044 passes both chambers, it would bypass Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and head to the November ballot.
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Onderwerpen: Supreme Court