NASHVILLE - Two freshman Senate Republican critics of the "Tennessee Plan" for electing state Supreme Court justices and other appellate judges were appointed to the Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
Sen. Mike Bell, R-Rice-ville, and Sen. Stacey Campfield, R-Knoxville, were appointed to the panel by Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville. Both have criticized the Tennessee Plan.
Under the plan, appellate judges are nominated by a special panel, appointed by the governor and subject to "retention" elections in which voters decide whether the judges stay on.
Bell, who argues the plan is unconstitutional, said Thursday he plans to introduce legislation returning judges to direct, competitive elections.
Last week, he pointed out to the Chattanooga Times Free Press that two state Supreme Court justices, Sharon Lee and Gary Wade, contributed to his GOP primary opponent, Lou Patten, last year.
He also noted that Court of Appeals Judge Charles D. Susano Jr. gave Patten $250 and Sevier County Circuit Court Judge Rex Henry Ogle, whose wife is an appellate judge, gave $1,000.
In an interview, Ogle said his contribution had nothing to do with how appellate judges are elected.
"I've known Lou Patten for several years, and I don't know and still don't know Sen. Bell at all and hated that he feels the way that he does," Ogle said. "It's my understanding that he took a contribution from a judge."
State campaign finance records show Circuit Court Judge Mike Sharp in the 10th Judicial District contributed $500 to Bell's campaign last July.
Bell drew a distinction between trial court judges like Sharp, who face competitive elections, and the retention elections for Supreme Court and other appellate judges.
"That's a judge who's elected by the people, who stands before the people every eight years in a contested election," Bell said.
Ogle, a Republican, said Bell is "obviously upset with the Tennessee judiciary, and for that I am terribly sorry." But he said judges often "have to hold their noses and enforce criminal statutes" - passed by lawmakers - "that have helped to destroy public confidence in our system."
Bell said he isn't questioning appellate judges' right to give campaign donations to his opponent.
"I just said that there was hypocrisy in them giving and saying they didn't need to be affected by money and they need to be above politics," he said.