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Senate committee advances bill creating three‑judge panels for select state constitutional cases amid public concern
Summary
The Revenue & Taxation Committee recommended second substitute HB 392 to the floor after debate and public comment. Supporters said panels would distribute decision‑making for statewide constitutional questions; critics, including court representatives, warned the bill paired with a rule change could allow removal of judges from pending cases and risk judicial independence.
The Senate Revenue & Taxation Committee voted Feb. 5 to pass out Second Substitute HB 392 with a favorable recommendation, moving a controversial proposal that would let the legislature, governor or attorney general seek removal of certain constitutional or facial‑law challenges from a single district judge to a randomly selected three‑judge district panel.
Representative McPherson, the bill sponsor, said the measure is designed to bring additional judicial minds and geographic diversity to high‑stakes constitutional questions and to publish…
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