Second Poll Confirms Kansans' Reluctance to Alter Judicial Selection

A new poll—this one commissioned by the Kansas Policy Institute—shows that Kansans see no need to change the process for selecting the state’s appellate judges. According to the recent poll, 54 percent of Kansans believe it is “in citizens’ best interests to have judges recommended for appointment to the Kansas Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals by a majority-attorney panel,” while 39 percent disagree. A Justice at Stake poll released in mid-January indicated that  61 percent of Kansans oppose a proposal to abolish the nominating panel and require senate confirmation of judicial appointments, though the proposal has been approved by the senate with the required two-thirds support.