Judicial selection process would change, under Senate resolution

OKLAHOMA CITY – A Joint Resolution introduced in the Oklahoma Senate this week would change Oklahoma’s judicial selection process.

Senate Joint Resolution 6, approved in the Senate Rules Committee, would bring the state’s process in line with the federal model by reforming the Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC), senators said. Under proposed reforms that would be decided by Oklahoma voters, the governor would select judicial candidates, and the state Senate would confirm or reject those nominees. The change would introduce greater transparency and accountability to the process, ensuring Oklahoma’s judiciary reflects the will of the people while remaining independent of the judicial branch, said Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle.

“The JNC, which is supposed to be an independent body, lacks the transparency necessary to inspire public trust,” Paxton said. “It’s time to shift toward a process where elected officials, who are accountable to the voters, are directly involved in the selection of judges. With the Senate’s role in confirming judges, Oklahomans will have a better understanding of who is being appointed and how decisions are made.

The men said critics argue the current system is opaque, with limited public input and little clarity about how decisions are made or how nominees selected. The process also has been criticized for being prone to partisanship and favoritism, with accusations of backroom deals that prevent fair representation of all Oklahomans.

The proposal mirrors the federal process, where the president selects judicial nominees and the U.S. Senate provides oversight through confirmation hearings and votes. Sen. Brian Guthrie, the Bixby Republican who introduced the measure to the Rules Committee, said the federal process has worked for more than 200 years.