S.C. leaders discuss bills that reform judicial selection process

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Representative Heather Bauer and Joe White alongside judges and sheriffs from around the state have ed at the South Carolina State House to address their bills that reform the judicial process.

Rep. Bauer is the primary sponsor of H. 4179 a bill that in companion with Rep. White’s bill H. 4183 works to provide transparency and more balance to the judicial process.

“This legislation would dramatically improve transparency and competitiveness in the process legislator’s use to elect judges. These reforms would allow every qualified candidate to run and get an up or down vote, and it would give the governor an opportunity to appoint to the Judicial Merit screening committee in consultation with the South Carolina Bar. Candidate screening has become too secretive and too political, but these common sense reforms will open up the screening process and give the public the confidence legislators are electing the best possible candidates willing to serve,” Bauer said.

According to White, “The public deserves to be aware of an opaque and dishonest process that has become a breeding ground for corruption. To allow lawyer/legislators to plead cases to men and women who they are responsible for electing to the judicial bench is inherently unethical. Lawyers who serve in our statehouse should not yield absolute power over the election of judges they argue cases in front of. It’s a broken system that serves the legislature, not the people.”

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