Public hearings are scheduled to continue today on a bill by state Rep. Stanley Cox, R-Sedalia, that seeks to change how Missouri judges are chosen.
Cox’s bill, HJR 49, first went before the Special House Committee on General Laws on Feb. 5 but was met with stiff opposition, and public hearings were continued until this morning.
kAm%96 AC@A@D65 2>6?5>6?E D66<D E@ :?4C62D6 E96 ?F>36C @7 ?@>:?66D D6?E E@ E96 8@G6C?@C[ C6>@G6D ;F586D 7C@> E96 D6=64E:@? AC@46DD 2?5 2==@HD E96 8@G6C?@C E@ C6;64E E96 A2?6=’D ?@>:?2E:@?]k^Am
kAmr@I D2:5 96 D@F89E E@ @A6? FA E96 AC@46DD E@ E96 AF3=:4 2?5 C6DE@C6 E96 |:DD@FC: !=2? E@ :ED @C:8:?2= :?E6?E @7 AC6G6?E:?8 @FED:56 :?7=F6?46 @? E96 D6=64E:@? @7 E96 ;F5:4:2CJ]k^Am
kAm%96 pAA6==2E6 yF5:4:2= r@>>:DD:@? 4@?D:DED @7 E96 49:67 ;FDE:46[ E9C66 =2HJ6CD 49@D6? 3J >6>36CD @7 E96 |:DD@FC: q2C 2?5 E9C66 A6@A=6 2AA@:?E65 3J E96 8@G6C?@C] %96 ?@>:?2E:?8 4@>>:DD:@?D 7@C :?5:G:5F2= ;F5:4:2= 4:C4F:ED 7@==@H 2 D:>:=2C >@56=]k^Am
kAmr@I[ 2 =2HJ6C[ D2:5 E96 AC@A@D65 492?86 :D ?66565 E@ 4@F?E6C24E 2? “24E:G:DE” EC6?5 :? DE2E6 4@FCED[ 2?5 D2:5 96 36=:6G6D E96 H2J E@ 7:I E96 AC@3=6> :D E@ AC6G6?E =2HJ6CD 2?5 ;F586D 7C@> 36:?8 E96 4@?EC@==:?8 :?7=F6?46 :? 49@@D:?8 E96 ;F5:4:2CJ]k^Am
kAmrC:E:4D[ :?4=F5:?8 r9:67 yFDE:46 {2FC2 s6?G:C $E:E9[ @7 E96 |:DD@FC: $FAC6>6 r@FCE[ 92G6 D2:5 E96 4FCC6?E A=2? H@C<D 2?5 8:G6D C6D:56?ED 2 D2J :? 9@H E96:C ;F5:4:2CJ :D >256 FA]k^Am
kAm%96 4@>>:DD:@?D 56=:36C2E6 :? D64C6E 2?5 7@CH2C5 E9C66 42?5:52E6D E@ E96 8@G6C?@C 7@C 2 7:?2= D6=64E:@?[ 3FE ;F586D 7246 C6E6?E:@? 6=64E:@?D 3J G@E6CD @?6 J62C 27E6C E96:C 2AA@:?E>6?ED]k^Am
kAm$E:E9 :? 96C $E2E6 @7 E96 yF5:4:2CJ 255C6DD =2DE H66< D2:5 D@>6 492?86D 2C6 2=C625J 27@@E]k^Am
kAm%96 BF2=:7:42E:@?D 2?5 324<8C@F?5D @7 ;F5:4:2= 7:?2=:DED H:== 36 AF3=:4:K65 DE2CE:?8 =2E6C E9:D >@?E9[ 2?5 H9:=6 E96 D6DD:@?D H:== C6>2:? 4=@D65 E@ E96 AF3=:4[ E96 E:>6 2?5 A=246 @7 E96 >66E:?8D H:== 36 ?@E65 :? 25G2?46 2?5 E96 2AA=:42E:@?D @7 E96 E9C66 7:?2=:DED 2=D@ H:== 36 >256 2G2:=23=6]k^Am
kAmr@I’D 3:== :D ?@E E96 @?=J @?6 F?56C 4@?D:56C2E:@? E92E H@F=5 492?86 E96 |:DD@FC: !=2?]k^Am
kAm#6A] y:> {6>3<6[ #\$E] {@F:D[ AFE 7@CH2C5 wy# da[ H9:49 42==D 7@C 2 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= 2>6?5>6?E E92E H@F=5 D4C2A E96 ;F5:4:2= 4@>>:DD:@? :? 72G@C @7 2 `_\>6>36C A2?6= DA=:E 6G6?=J 36EH66? s6>@4C2ED 2?5 #6AF3=:42?D]k^Am
kAm&?56C {6>3<6’D A=2? E96 ;F5:4:2= 4@>>:DD:@? H@F=5 5:D4=@D6 2== 2AA=:42?ED 2?5 :?E6CG:6H BF6DE:@?D 2?5 2?DH6CD[ 2?5 7@CH2C5 7:G6 42?5:52E6D E@ E96 8@G6C?@C] %96 4@>>:DD:@? H@F=5 >66E :? AF3=:4[ 2=E9@F89 :E 4@F=5 49@@D6 E@ :?E6CG:6H 42?5:52E6D 2?5 56=:36C2E6 23@FE E96:C BF2=:7:42E:@?D :? AC:G2E6] %96 8@G6C?@C’D 49@:46 H@F=5 36 DF3;64E E@ $6?2E6 4@?7:C>2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 962C:?8D 4@?E:?F6 E9:D >@C?:?8 :? y6776CD@? r:EJ 2E g 2]>] :? w62C:?8 #@@> $:I @7 E96 |:DD@FC: $E2E6 r2A:E@=]k^Am
kAm%96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DDk^Am
kAm4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D C6A@CE]k^Am