By AP/KWMU
Jefferson City, Mo. – Voters would be asked to change how the Missouri's judges are picked in a proposed constitutional amendment given preliminary approval Monday in the state House.
Several critics, mainly Republicans, say the current selection method is secretive and unaccountable to the public.
Under the existing system, the governor picks judges from a committee's recommendations. Those committees include other judges, lawyers and citizen members.
The proposal would remove judges and add more people who are not lawyers. It also would require the names of applicants to be publicized.
Democrats called the proposed changes "malarkey," arguing they would politicize the legal system.