Beware of Effort to Change Selection of Texas Judges

During the 2019 legislative session, the House and Senate voted for – and the governor signed – legislation creating a commission to study Texas’ judicial selection process. Only 11 members of the House and six members of the Senate opposed the legislation.

The commission is comprised of several House and Senate members, as well as individuals appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor, and House speaker.

At the commission’s first meeting two weeks ago, several appointed members let it slip they wanted to remove the “party label” from judges. That’s been put forward in the past as the first step to taking judicial slots off the ballot altogether.

Nonpartisan elections result in voters electing judges who are significantly more liberal than the population. They also deprive voters of important information about the ideological views of judicial candidates.

Recall the Republican Party of Texas’ platform explicitly calls for protecting the right of citizens to elect judges.

The fastest way for Texans to lose their right to elect judges would be to stop participating in judicial races. Citizens need to be asking more direct questions of those men and women who seek to don the black robe and take up a gavel. Texans need to press them harder, and not let ourselves be intimidated by the titles. Just like presidents, governors, and school board members, judges make decisions affecting all of us. They must work for, and be answerable to, the people.

Be on guard against politicians who would deprive citizens the right to directly elect Texas judges!