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Governor Pushes Merit Selection For Judges

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Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson says it is time to revisit whether the state's appellate judges should be appointed rather than popularly elected.

Speaking to the Pulaski County Bar Association on Friday, Hutchinson said he is interested in looking at the merit selection of state Supreme Court and appeals court judges.

Hutchinson says he still supports popular election of the state's circuit and district court judges.

Hutchinson stopped short of calling for appointment of judges and didn't lay out a specific plan for their merit selection.

A proposed constitutional amendment to have Supreme Court justices appointed rather than elected failed to advance in the Legislature in this year.

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