HB1225: Non-partisan elections for prosecutors

Rep. Lamoureux (R-Russellville) has me in a box on this one. This bill mandates that elections for prosecuting attorneys be held in a non-partisan manner. Amendment 80 brought this change to judicial elections back in 2000. This proposal removes the appearance of partiality and partisanship in the judicial system, even though prosecutors are free to currently run as an Independent.

I understand the prosecutors are actually split on the bill. While it will save them a significant amount of money, this filing fee also acts as a sort of incumbency safeguard. The problem lies with my position as majority leader. The bill's unintended (*cough*) consequence is to take a couple of hundred grand away from the Democratic Party of Arkansas. The current filing fee paid to the party for this position (at least for Democrats) is $7,500. There are 28 judicial districts in Arkansas, each with its own elected prosecutor. Three of these are Republicans, and besides a couple of prosecutors in southeast Arkansas that recently ran as an Independent, all others ran as Democrats.

It failed in committee this morning, but I expect to see it back.