The Amendment Question: SCR 1611.

Kansas Republicans aren’t being transparent. In the state legislature, they’re suspending rules to bypass the points of input by conferees and their Democratic colleagues. This tends to happen when Republicans rush through a terrible bill, such as SB 244, to avoid public input and minimize the time advocates have to reach the moderate members.

Kansans deserve to be heard in the statehouse, either through testimony in committees or through their elected representatives.

Similarly, Kansans deserve to be informed by the legislature on the full intent of constitutional referendums.

SCR 1611, the amendment question that will appear on the primary election ballot, would abolish the merit-based selection process for Kansas Supreme Court justices and replace it with direct elections. In addition, SCR 1611 would allow all judges and justices–except for the 17 district court judgeships elected on a non-partisan basis–to affiliate with a political party, as well as accept and make campaign contributions.

The full language of the amendment will not appear on the ballot–that’s normal. Instead, voters are forced to trust that an explanatory statement, written by the state legislature, fully discloses the provisions of SCR 1611. In case you’re wondering, it does not.

The explanatory statement describes the abolishment of the nominating commission and the implementation of direct election cycles ( p. 2 of 2025 Summary of Legislation, Ballot Language section). Withheld from the explanatory statement, however, is the fact that SCR 1611 opens the door to the negative influence of dark money and partisanship in the Kansas Supreme Court.

Excluding these provisions from the explanatory statement is intentional.

Republicans know that Kansans are fed up with the disproportionate sway of deep-pocketed donors and political parties, and wouldn’t volunteer the state supreme court to the same vices. That’s why they're secluding the complete intent of SCR 1611.

I’m writing about this here because the complexity of a constitutional explanatory statement can’t be boiled down to a catchy campaign slogan. But you deserve to know the extent of Kansas Republicans’ dishonesty.

Don’t let Kansas Republicans silence your voice or keep secrets from you. Submit testimony, make phone calls, write emails to your legislators, and in April, join the county party’s campaign to defeat SCR 1611.

Kelm Lear

Chair