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Panel advances proposal to change judicial nominating commission appointments
Summary
HJR 1024 would remove some constraints on judicial nominating commission membership — including nonlawyer and party‑affiliation limits — add term limits and update districting; supporters called it modest reform while opponents warned it could erode safeguards to impartiality.
Senator Galhar presented House Joint Resolution 10‑24 reforming the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC). The proposal removes certain nonlawyer and political‑affiliation restrictions on commissioners, imposes a 12‑year consecutive term limit, and updates districting to reflect current maps rather than 1967 boundaries.
Senators asked pointed questions about impartiality, conflicts of interest, and the effect of removing nonlawyer representation. Senator Hicks argued the changes could "remove key safeguards" and consolidate power in ways that might erode public trust. Supporters including a member who identified as an attorney said many safeguards remain in place, that the Bar Association still elects six members, and called the measure a needed modernization.
Debate touched on historical context (the JNC was created to limit political influence after past scandals) and whether the proposal represented too large a change to a long‑standing system. After debate, the committee called the roll and the resolution was reported as passed from committee.
