Control of state courts becomes a top political battleground

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Townhall:

ATLANTA (AP) — Much attention is being paid to the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy, but equally partisan battles are being waged for control of state courts around the nation.

 

In states where voters elect Supreme Court judges, millions of dollars are being spent to reshape the courts for years to come. Judicial watchdogs say spending by national groups overwhelmingly favors judges on the right of the political spectrum, and is mostly aimed at maintaining or improving the courts' responses to corporate interests while countering state-level spending by labor unions and other interest groups.

 

Lawmakers are busy too, debating proposals to tip the balance of power by expanding or reducing their court's size, or making it easier to impeach judges whose rulings upset the legislative majority.

 

"State courts are the final word on a host of state law issues that have high stakes for businesses' bottom lines, legislatures' agendas and the rights of individuals," said Alicia Bannon with the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University. "Who sits on state courts can have a profound impact on the legal landscape in a state, and special interest groups and politicians are increasingly paying attention."