Opponents outnumbered the supporters Monday afternoon during a House committee hearing on a proposal to change the way Missouri's appeals and Supreme Court judges are placed on the bench. And, in many cases, the debate was among conservative Republicans.
"This plan gives all the power to the executive, unchecked by anyone," said Kansas City lawyer Woody Cozad, a long-time GOP supporter.
But, said lobbyist Kerry Messer of the Missouri Family Network: "You're not going to remove politics from judicial selection - it's impossible. What this does is, this helps the citizenry hold somebody accountable for that process."