NASHVILLE - Gov. Bill Haslam and the House and Senate speakers announced a proposal today to amend the Tennessee Constitution regarding how appellate judges are selected.
The proposal would enshrine the current practice in which a commission nominates potential state Supreme Court justices and appellate judges based on merit and the governor appoints one of the nominees.
The appointed judges would later run in retention elections just as they do now.
Haslam, a Republican, and fellow Republicans Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey and House Speaker Beth Harwell, all said the current system works well.
But critics have contended for years that using the current system instead of popular elections violates the Tennessee Constitution.
For complete details, see tomorrow's Times Free Press.