Mar 01 2009
Nevada Considers Merit Selection
The Press-Enterprise in California is reporting on a hearing in Nevada on a proposal to replace judicial elections with a Merit Selection system. In some colorful testimony, Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio quoted former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Paul Pfeiffer’s complaints about judicial elections:
“I never felt so much like a hooker down by the bus station in any race I’ve ever been in as I did in a judicial race. Everyone interested in contribution had very specific interests. They mean to be buying a vote.”
While the metaphor may be unusual, it strikes at the heart of the problematic role of money in the judicial election process.
The bill at issue passed the Nevada legislature in 2007. If it passes a second time, it can go before the people of Nevada in a referendum to amend the constitution. This lengthy process is very much like the process for amending the Pennsylvania constitution. We hope the people of Nevada and Pennsylvania will get the opportunity to decide for themselves whether to change the way judges are selected.
Tags: Bill Raggio, constitutional amendment, judicial elections, Merit Selection, Nevada, other states, Paul Pfeiffer, Press-Enterprise, referedum
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