Minnesotans for Impartial Courts

The Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Senator Dick Cohen, voted to pass SF 70 on Wednesday.  The bill was referred to the Rules Committee.  Finance Committee members included Senators Frederickson, Anderson, Berglin, Betzold, Dille, Fischbach, Foley, Higgins, Metzen, Murphy, G. Olson, Pappas, Pariseau, Robling, Senjem, Stumpf, Tomassoni, Vickerman and Wiger.  Thank you for your calls and emails encouraging their support of Senator Rest’s bill.  After being heard and passed in Rules, the bill will move to the Senate floor. Stay tuned.

Thanks for your support.

State Sen. Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope, is pushing a proposal that would allow voters to decide whether the current system of electing judges should change. Rest said she wants to keep nasty ads and partisanship out of judicial elections.

“We’re trying to stave off of that kind of contested election politicking coming to Minnesota,” she said.

To read more or hear the MPR story, click below.

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/20/10/04/05/judicial-elections

“Whether this method goes forward should be a matter of clear and open public discourse, though it seems a sensible compromise.  One thing does seem clear though:  expensive, partisan and bitter judicial elections will do nothing to promote public confidence in the quiet branch.  That’s not the Minnesota way.”  To read more of the Star Tribune Your Voices article, click below.

Posted by Ernest Grumbles III

April 5, 2010

How to Choose Minnesota Judges? Quietly.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010 – 8:30 AM

Committee on Finance
Chair: Sen. Richard J.  Cohen
8:30 a.m.
Room 123 Capitol

S.F. 70-Rest: Constitutional amendment for judges retention elections.

What can you do?

• Attend the hearing this Wednesday.
• Email or call Finance Committee members asking them to vote YES.

Thank you for your continued support!