Fingerpointing in Minnesota
June 22, 2010
For yet another year, the push to replace democratic judicial elections in Minnesota with “merit” selection and retention elections has failed. Now comes the fingerpointing and recriminations as proponents look for someone to blame for the doomed effort. Politics in Minnesota has the report.
Perhaps the explanation as to why “merit” selection continues to fail in Minnesota is as simple as what was offered by the executive director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life:
“[The legislation] doesn’t allow grass-roots Minnesotans to be involved in the process, as they are now with direct elections,” he says. “It would place a lot of power in the hands of the few who would advise whether to retain or not retain [a judge]. For those who want to see changes, it’s another obstacle to change.”
My bet is MN state legislators know this, too, and are understandably reluctant to strip voters of their right to participate in choosing who sits on the bench.