Latest news with #JudicialNominatingCommission
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Kevin Stitt wants sole power to appoint Oklahoma Supreme Court justices
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt wants to wield the power to appoint state Supreme Court justices without involvement of the Judicial Nominating Commission as legislators work to reform the way judges are vetted and selected. The governor said he believes the federal government's model of selecting U.S. Supreme Court justices is the best, adding that he'd prefer to appoint justices to the state's highest court directly. "To get the very best and brightest, and to be able to get the best pool of people into these different positions, sometimes you have to go recruit them," Stitt said Wednesday during his weekly news conference. "You have to go make some phone calls. You have to say, 'Hey, I really need you to apply.' And when you have all these restrictions around, it's difficult." Stitt's comments come after he named Travis Jett, a conservative lawyer with no judicial experience, to fill the open seat on the Oklahoma Supreme Court Monday. The seat became vacant after Stitt and the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, a right-wing think tank in Oklahoma City, pushed to oust three justices from the state's highest civil court. Jett previously served as a lawyer for OCPA. Two measures authored by House Speaker Pro Tem Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, seek to reform the nomination process for judges. House Joint Resolution 1024 would send to a vote of the people a state question asking whether to amend the Oklahoma Constitution to establish that at least one member of the Judicial Nominating Commission be from each of the state's five congressional districts at the time of their appointment. More: Travis Jett named to Oklahoma Supreme Court by Gov. Kevin Stitt House Bill 2103 would prohibit any Judicial Nominating Commission member from participating in the decision-making process if the member is related to a nominee to the third degree either through ancestry or by marriage. The governor also addressed several other topics at his news briefing: Stitt commented on his decision earlier this week to appoint a special investigator to look into the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. He said he believed the recently appointed Commissioner Allie Friesen offers a fresh set of eyes on the agency, but that its contract spending still needed to be examined. "As soon as you start questioning things, you start saying, 'Hey, this contract doesn't sound right. I want to give the money over here to this vendor. This nonprofit is doing a better job.' These guys start spending," Stitt said. "They can afford to hire lobbyists." More: Gov. Stitt wants special investigator to look into Oklahoma's mental health agency Stitt's comments coincide with an announcement earlier this week from House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, who formed a select committee to examine the mental health department's operations and budget. The committee will meet Thursday afternoon. Stitt said he welcomed lawmakers' review. "I tell people, 'Let's shine a light on some of these dollars,'" Stitt said. "Let's see where all the mice scatter. That's what you're seeing right now. The rats are running, and they're screaming as we thought before." Stitt also expressed his support for a Senate bill that would prohibit the governor from closing businesses during a pandemic unless they have evidence that the nature of a particular business would contribute to spreading the disease. Authored by Sen. Julie McIntosh, R-Porter, SB 672 would require the governor to send a notice to each affected business and allow time for a hearing before mandatory shutdowns could occur. "President Trump, during that initial time, I think the whole country, learned a lot from COVID, and every leader had a difficult decision," Stitt said. "There were leaders of businesses, and there were leaders in athletics and the NFL and NBA. Everybody was dealing with uncertainty during that time." The governor said in the case of another pandemic, the state would take guidance from health care professionals in Oklahoma. He touted his decision not to enact a mask mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Most people agree that you don't put our U.S. Constitution in the attic just because somebody in Washington, D.C. tells us to," Stitt said. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Gov. Stitt wants sole power to appoint Oklahoma Supreme Court justices
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Barrow County solicitor general resigns
The Barrow County Solicitor General has tendered his resignation. According to county officials, Solicitor General Kyle Sharry submitted his resignation Wednesday, citing a desire to go back to practicing law privately. Sharry was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp to serve as the county's solicitor general in a part-time capacity back in 2020. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: 2 dead after shooting at Stockbridge apartment complex, police say Authorities searching for woman who vanished after getting into rideshare in Hall County R. Thomas Deluxe Grill owners selling iconic Buckhead restaurant While serving in the role, county officials said the solicitor general's office expanded from one employee working full-time to five and began administering traffic camera courts, reducing school zone speeding violations. The office also 'maintained a perfect record at trial.' Sharry submitted his resignation to the governor on Wednesday afternoon. If the governor accepts the resignation, the statewide Judicial Nominating Commission would start the process of choosing his successor. The county did not say when Sharry's potential last day on the job would be, should Kemp accept his resignation. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Travis Jett named to Oklahoma Supreme Court by Gov. Kevin Stitt
Gov. Kevin Stitt named Travis Jett, a conservative lawyer with no judicial experience, to fill the open seat on the Oklahoma Supreme Court Monday. The seat became vacant after Stitt and the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, a right-wing think tank in Oklahoma City, pushed to oust three justices from the state's highest civil court. Jett previously served as a lawyer for OCPA. Jett will assume the post immediately. No Senate confirmation is required. Stitt made the announcement at an afternoon news conference at the state Capitol. He said his first priority was to appoint a justice who would stay true to the Oklahoma and United States constitutions. Stitt said he chose Jett because he believed Jett was a man of integrity and was well respected in the legal and agricultural communities. "He has spent his life and career serving Oklahoma through the FFA and his legal practice," Stitt said. Stitt said Jett would apply the law as written and would "be a good steward of this honor." "As he takes a seat on the bench, I look forward to his service and his prudent interpretation of the Constitution and the new energy he brings to the court," the governor said. He did not take questions after announcing he was appointing Jett to the post. Jett said he was proud to accept the appointment and would apply the law in a "fair, predictable and just manner." "I know that the lessons that I learned 190 miles northwest of here, things like honesty, integrity, humility, fairness, that will guide my tenure on the state Supreme Court," he said. Jett was one of three finalists sent to Stitt by the state's Judicial Nominating Commission. The other finalists were Donna Lynn Dirickson and Jon Keith Parsley, both district judges. Jett is a private practice attorney with the Hodgden Law Firm in Woodward. He has represented the Oklahoma Tax Commission, Corporation Commission, Ethics Commission, Oklahoma State Department of Health and Oklahoma State Department of Education in litigation. He is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center. Jett replaces Justice Yvonne Kauger who lost her retention election last year. Kauger, 87, was the longest serving member of the court. She was named to the court by Democratic Gov. George Nigh in 1984. Kauger was the second woman in state history to be named to the court. Before voters ousted Kauger, a Stitt-backed political action committee and the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs branded Kauger and fellow justices Noma Gurich and James Edmondson as 'liberal activists.' Kauger was also criticized because of her age. Gurich and Edmondson won their retention elections. Kauger's replacement shifts the court's makeup. Now six justices of the court have been named by Republican governors and three chosen by Democratic governors. Jett's appointment is Stitt's fourth to the court. Officials at the Judicial Nominating Commission said there were 14 applicants to fill the vacancy. Stitt was required to select a nominee within 60 days of receiving the list of finalists. He said Monday that Jett was selected after a "thorough vetting process." The choice of Jett comes as some members of the Oklahoma Legislature continue efforts to change how justices are appointed to the state's highest court. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Gov. Kevin Stitt appoints Travis Jett to Oklahoma Supreme Court
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Measure would ask voters to alter selection process of Oklahoma appellate judges
Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, attends a news conference in the Senate Lounge at the state Capitol on Feb. 13, 2025. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY – A Senate panel on Wednesday passed a measure to ask voters to dramatically alter how appellate court judges are selected, despite concerns it would politicize the process. Senate Joint Resolution 6 is a constitutional amendment that asks voters to abolish the Judicial Nominating Commission. The Judicial Nominating Commission currently vets judicial candidates and sends three names to the governor for consideration. Under the Senate measure, the governor would appoint members of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals and Court of Civil Appeals, subject to Senate confirmation. At the next general election before his or her term expires, the judge can seek to be placed on the retention ballot to let voters decide if the judge shall be retained. Sen. Brian Guthrie, R-Bixby, presented the measure for Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, the author. Guthrie said the measure would bring more transparency to the process. 'It's time to shift toward a process where elected officials, who are accountable to the voters, are directly involved in the selection of judges,' Paxton said. 'With the Senate's role in confirming judges, Oklahomans will have a better understanding of who is being appointed and how decisions are made.' Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, questioned whether it would insert politics into the process of judicial selection. She asked how the measure would promote public trust in the judiciary when judges are seen as political appointees rather than impartial arbiters of justice. 'I don't think you have proven your case that the system we have in Oklahoma is not working,' said Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman. The action comes after voters, for the first time in history, declined to retain an Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice, Yvonne Kauger. Kauger was among three Oklahoma Supreme Court justices targeted by dark money groups for removal. The two other justices were narrowly retained. Lawmakers for years have attempted to alter the selection process for judges. Voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1967 to create the JNC following a bribery scandal. Prior to the JNC, appellate court judges ran as politicians and accepted campaign donations. The Oklahoma Supreme Court has tossed out dozens of laws it found to be unconstitutional, prompting some lawmakers to suggest the justices were legislating from the bench. Senate Joint Resolution 6 passed the Senate Rules Committee by a vote of 16-3 and is available for Senate consideration. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
