Bill > HJR25

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to modify the judicial selection process for certain courts in Missouri, specifically the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and circuit or associate circuit judges in St. Louis and Jackson County. Under the proposed amendment, when a judicial vacancy occurs, the governor would be required to fill the position by appointing one of three candidates nominated by a nonpartisan judicial commission. If the governor fails to make an appointment within 60 days of receiving the nominee list, the commission would be required to reconvene and submit a new list of three different qualified candidates. The key change appears to be in the process of handling gubernatorial inaction, with the amendment clarifying that the governor alone, not the commission, has the power to make the final appointment. This resolution would be submitted to Missouri voters for adoption or rejection at the next general election in November 2026 or at a special election called by the governor, representing a potential significant modification to the state's current judicial selection mechanism.

Justice

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HJR25&year=2025&code=R