How Alaska’s judicial selection puts the federal system to shame
Assistant Attorney General Laura Fox argues the state's position on the disputed Democratic primary election before the Alaska Supreme Court on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016. (Bill Roth / ADN archive)
There’s not much that’s pretty about national politics these days, but even among a sea of partisan ugliness, the process of selecting judges for the highest court in the land stands out. It wasn’t always so, but in recent years, the process for selecting and confirming Supreme Court justices has become the bitterest political fight in Washington, D.C., with both parties willing to go to virtually any length to ensure — or obstruct — the seating of a nominee. The confirmation process for the successor to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg promises to be the ugliest yet. With our country so sharply divided and each justice able to shape the interpretation of American law for a generation, the rancor is sickening but hardly surprising.
Still, you might ask, isn’t there a better way we could pick judges?
The answer is yes. And Alaska has that system.
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