Conservatives Play Musical Chairs to "Cement" Majority on Arkansas High Court

[In It to Win It]

In Arkansas next month, two supreme court justices are seeking re-election, sort of—neither is running for the seat they currently hold, but rather for each other’s seat on the bench.

Nick Bronni and Cody Hiland were both appointed to the state supreme court in late 2024 by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Technically, both were barred from running to keep their place on the court this year since the Arkansas constitution forbids officials who were appointed to fill a vacancy to then run for that position when it next appears on the ballot. But luckily for them, the timing of their appointments offered Bronni and Hiland a solution: Since they each faced this same predicament at the same time this year, they could just trade spots.

This game of musical chairs, while legal, has the effect of circumventing the constitution’s ban, which typically prevents gubernatorial appointees from reaping the benefits of incumbency before they’ve earned it from voters.

That provision was part of a constitutional amendment ratified by Arkansas voters in 1938. Known as Amendment 29, the measure followed several governors’ controversial appointments—including then-Governor Junius Marion Futrell’s 1933 appointment of a close political ally who rankled the legal establishment and then ran to keep his seat as chief justice.

https://boltsmag.org/arkansas-supreme-court-musical-chairs/

[SalamanderSleeps]

1. Republicans equal Frat boys. Frat boys cheat. eom

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

2. Ugh