Supreme Court Elections Amendment, 5/21 Discussion in Colby

Judge Karen Arnold-Burger (Kansas Court of Appeals) and attorney David Rebein, Dodge City, will lead a discussion of the proposed constitutional amendment on May 21, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at the Lon Frahm Ag Center, Colby Community College (Colby, KS).

On August 4, all Kansas voters will consider a constitutional amendment that would change how Kansas Supreme Court justices are selected. The current merit-based system has been used since 1958, adopted after the 1956 “Triple Play” scandal involving the defeated Kansas governor and the chief justice.

Under the current merit-based system, a nonpartisan commission of lawyers and non- lawyers examines the legal qualifications and judicial independence of the nominees. All meetings of this commission are open to the public as directed by the Kansas Open Meetings Act.

After careful examination of the nominees, the nonpartisan commission submits three finalists to the governor, who appoints one. Later, the justices appointed by the governor face periodic retention elections where voters decide if they should remain in office.

The proposed August 4th amendment would create a system that would elect partisan Supreme Court Justices based on their ability to run a successful and expensive political campaign.

Please attend this informative public event. Remember, all voters, including unaffiliated voters, will be able to cast their vote on this amendment during the August 4 th primary election.

This event has been organized by several northwest Kansas citizens from Thomas, Sherman, Decatur, Logan, Gove and Wallace Counties. For more information or a Zoom link contact Connie Davis, Colby, by email at voices@ksfuture.com

Cover image of gavel by wesley tingey on unsplash.

This communication is sponsored by the Food and Farm Caucus of KDP PAC, Tim Peterson, Treasurer.