SUGGEST A NO VOTE – This is a legislative referendum — THE PEOPLE DID NOT ASK FOR THIS
Excerpts from a presentation by Indivisible Oklahoma. Bold added by us.
SQ 845: arguments made in favor
Supporters say
•The changes will modernize the JNC and align judicial selection with voter preferences.
•Allowing retention of experienced commissioners builds knowledge of institutional history.
•Legal expertise is valuable when evaluating judicial candidates.
•Eliminating political party quotas allow selection of people based more on qualifications than party affiliation.
SQ 845: arguments made against
Opponents say
•Weakening the guardrails risks turning the courts into an extension of partisan power, undermining the judicial independence the state constitution is meant to protect.
•Removing party-balance requirements could make the commission more vulnerable to partisan influence.
•Having non-attorneys on the commission provides important outside perspective and limits the likelihood a commission member will try a case in front of a judge they
recommended.
• Longer terms can allow a small group to develop too much power.
SUGGEST A NO VOTE