Commission approves application edits; moves sensitive background information to separate form

The Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission voted to approve edits to its candidate application that include an asterisked footnote advising applicants that pending legislation (Senate Bill 299) may affect public access rules, and to move sensitive background‑check release items (Social Security numbers and driver's license photos) into a separate, secure packet.

Chair Terry Campbell explained the purpose of the change: applicants are encouraged to submit letters of support, but the commission wanted to reduce the risk that sensitive personal data would be exposed in the public application packet. "We've added the asterisk because… pending legislation may affect this rule," Campbell said, referring to a possible change in public access under the Supreme Court’s rules. Commissioners asked staff to incorporate Commissioner Jen Cocking’s drafting suggestion to require judge applicants to include brief summaries of significant opinions so reviewers can compare judicial records with attorneys’ case summaries.

Commissioner Jen Cocking said aligning question 11 (judges) with question 9a (attorneys) would have helped the panel during prior vetting processes: "Having that summary information available from the judges…would provide a better avenue of comparison," she said. The commission approved the application edits by voice vote and delegated final wording and publication to commission staff.