The Kansas Constitution was written from July 5 to July 29 in 1859. It was ratified by Kansas voters on Oct. 4, 1859. It has been amended 98 times since it was adopted. All amendments must originate in the Kansas Legislature and be ratified by a majority vote from the public.
It is important to ask why amendments to the constitution have been placed on our primary ballot, not the general election ballot, the past two times. Primary elections are not well attended, and it’s obvious that fewer voters increase the chance of approval. It is a Republican-loaded legislature trying to do an end-around on rulings made by the Kansas Supreme Court.
A major political scandal involving dirty play with a Supreme Court justice in 1956 outraged Kansas voters and they voted overwhelmingly (60%) in 1958 for the amendment that created the merit-based system we have now. And this system has been functioning well since 1958. It is odd that a push has been made twice recently to amend and change what the people of Kansas demanded and preferred, or to try to fix what is not broken. Talk about political underpinnings and opening the process to underhanded occurrences in dark, smoke-filled rooms. If you vote “yes” for this amendment, that is what you would be voting for.
Vote “no” to retain a process that, although not perfect, is far better than having outside influencers select justices who will then decide what Kansas voters want.
Candace Dixon, Hutchinson