skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

A New Plan to "Reserve Judgment" for the People

play audio
Play

Wednesday, March 5, 2008   

St. Paul, MN – How should judges be chosen? That's under discussion at the Minnesota State Capitol and the subject of a proposed constitutional amendment. House bill sponsor Steve Simon says it is aimed at getting money and politics out of the process because, too often, judges are selected for ideology and backed by lobbyists.

"Judges are supposed to be impartial. Judges are not batters or pitchers or catchers. Judges are umpires."

Under the amendment, the governor would appoint judges from a selection commission list and an impartial panel would evaluate their performance. They wouldn't face opposition, but be voted up or down by the public.

Simon says the state has to set the rules on judicial contests, because a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision allows nominees to behave more like political candidates, and he believes judges shouldn't be politicians.

"First, judges and judicial candidates can openly and directly raise money. They couldn't do that before but now they can. Secondly, judges and judicial candidates can now openly seek and accept all sorts of partisan and interest group endorsements which they couldn't do before. Third, they can talk about and take positions on legal issues that are likely to come before them as judges."

If approved, the constitutional amendment would be on the fall ballot.

The amendment is drawn from recommendations from the panel Minnesotans for Impartial Courts, headed by former Governor Al Quie, who believes we need a fair, impartial judiciary for the public to respect the rule of law.

"When we see political parties organizing out of judicial districts, in order that they can gain control, it's important that we do as we have done before. When there is a threat to impartiality, either the legislature, or people, have decided, through a constitutional amendment, to bring it back. And, we are at that time now; otherwise, those who gain the power will not want us to change."

More information is available online at www.jrlc.org.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021