Below is a selection of remarks on today’s passage of the landmark judicial selection reform resolution, SJR51.

“With these modest changes, lawyers will no longer dominate the process. Today’s vote is a step forward in the effort to reduce their influence and restore accountability to the process by providing Missourians with an opportunity to exercise more accountability.” – Representative Stan Cox

“I am a strong supporter of reform to the Missouri Plan, which currently gives a small number of trial lawyers – a minority of the minority of lawyers – far too much power in the judicial selection process. With passage of SJR51, voters now will be able to decide whether to alter the makeup of the commission that nominates judges.” – Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder

“With the passage of SJR51, our legislature voted to take power away from special interests and return it to the citizens of our state by providing Missourians with the opportunity to exercise more accountability and have a larger voice in the judicial selection process. Now, Missouri’s voters will have the chance to vote on adopting these modest, but much-needed, reforms to the Missouri Plan.” – Senator Brad Lager

“The judges selected under the Missouri Plan make decisions that impact us all, which means that how they are selected also impacts us all. With these reforms, the people of Missouri will be able to exercise more accountability over the judicial selection process, which will help ensure our courts more accurately reflect the interests of all Missourians.” – Senator Jim Lembke

“As someone who has practiced law and seen up close how the Missouri Plan operates, this is a necessary reform that will increase transparency and accountability in the judicial selection process.” – Ed Martin

“For too many years the selection process for judges has been in need of crucial reform. Real opportunities to embrace reform and improve the selection process have been stopped by lawyers who currently have far too much influence in the appointment of our judges. The clear bias of these lawyers does not represent Missourians in the fair manner they deserve and expect. I was pleased to support this important resolution to reform our judicial selection process and to work with Senator Lembke and Representative Cox to give citizens the voice they deserve in the judiciary branch of their state government.” – Representative Shane Schoeller

“With today’s vote the legislature has empowered Missouri citizens to vote on common sense reforms to our judicial selection process. The House’s action today will send a constitutional amendment to the public for their consideration that will give citizens more control over how judges are selected and add greater accountability to the process. This is a great day for those of us who have advocated for years to reduce the influence of special interests allowed under the current Missouri Plan.” – Speaker Steven Tilley

The Missouri House today Truly Agreed and Finally Passed SJR51, Senator Jim Lembke’s judicial selection reform resolution. The reform passed with a bipartisan vote of 84-71.

Passage of the reform will now allow the people of Missouri to vote on a constitutional amendment to implement several modest but important changes to the so-called “Missouri Plan.” The reform will allow voters to exercise more accountability over the process, increase citizen representation, and reduce the influence of legal industry special interests.

The bill includes the following changes:

- An additional gubernatorial appointee will be added to the Appellate Judicial Commission, bringing the total to four.
- A sitting Supreme Court judge will no longer serve as a voting member on the Appellate Judicial Commission; instead, a retired judge will be selected to serve as a non-voting member.
- The Appellate Judicial Commission will be required to nominate four people to each panel presented to the governor for judicial vacancies, an increase of one person over the current panel size of three people.
- Terms of gubernatorial appointees to the Appellate Judicial Commission will be shortened to four years and re-staggered so the Governor will be allowed to appoint two members upon taking office and two in the third year of their term.

“We applaud Missouri’s General Assembly for passing this historic reform which will increase citizen representation and accountability. Senator Jim Lembke, the resolution’s sponsor, and Representative Stan Cox, who led the reform effort in the House, deserve credit for their hard work and leadership on this important issue. These reforms to the Missouri Plan are a good step forward for our state. By increasing citizen accountability and reducing the influence of liberal special interest groups, these modest reforms will help improve the judicial selection process and ensure our courts serve all Missourians, not just the litigation industry,” said Rich Chrismer, a spokesperson for Better Courts for Missouri.

The House is expected to vote on SJR51, Senator Lembke's judicial selection reform measure, very soon.

Please call your local state representative and tell them to vote yes on SJR51.