TOPEKA, Kan. - Kansans for Life has targeted Kansas Supreme Justice Carol Beier. They have bought ads on television, print and radio in an attempt to control and influence the judiciary process. The motivation to remove Justice Beier stems solely from their disfavor with the Justice over rulings surrounding the actions of former Attorney General Phil Kline.
Justice Carol A Beier recently asked the Kansas Ethics Commission to decide if campaign finance rules apply to retention elections for Supreme Court Justices. The ruling stated...
"Since the position of Supreme Court Justice is not included in the definition of state officer, The Campaign Finance Act does not govern your election."
Under ruling of the Kansas Ethics Commission...there is absolutely no spending or reporting limits for the retention election of Justice Beir! SB 563 would change that. Kansas NOW believes that justice should NOT be bought! Kansas NOW supports SB 563 and encourages the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee to pass this bill favorably out of committee for a vote of the entire Senate body.
Mr. Kline spent his career as Kansas Attorney General in pursuit of baseless charges against Dr. George Tiller. To now target a specific justice of the court in a warped defense of Mr. Kline's actions is a perpetuation of a harmful group hate mentality that has forced itself upon our courts for too long. Transparency is needed to combat this.
Justice Carol Beier was a law school classmate of mine at the University of Kansas. She is smarter than a treeful of owls and is a wonderful person. She is so bright and is a very impressive person. This "mob rule" mentality that is building toward judges is pathetic. An independent judiciary is everything.
What is the ethical or moral difference in buying a judge at the election booth or in the courtroom? It seems to be less risky to do it at the election booth, through campaign finance.
I'm not convinced the election booth is the best way to support the image of the blind folded justice system. What is just and fair in application of our laws should not be based on popularity. Popularity seems to be critical with donors.
By the way, Kari, you listed feminism in your tags. Feminism has absolutely nothing to do with qualification to be a fair and competent judge!
I don't think the feminism tag has anything to do with Judge Carol Beier. I believe that the tag references the fact that this article is of interest to feminists and those who are concerned about efforts to reduce access to legal abortion.
Thank you Amber. I know that Feminism is a good tag for those looking for stuff pertaining to Feminism. I, too, know of a few people who have looked at particular feminists to fill positions, purely on that qualification only.