Black legislative leaders say a proposed bill for Marion County's judicial selection process would disenfranchise voters and limit diversity on the ben! ch.
The Indianapolis Star reports that under the bill, a merit-selection committee would nominate judges to be chosen by the governor, duplicating the process used in appellate courts. The legislation has received equal amounts of praise, criticism and cautious approval in the state's legal community.
A court challenge is likely if the bill becomes law because members of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus are vehemently opposed to the bill, which has already passed the Indiana House.
Democratic Rep. Cherrish Pryor of Indianapolis says it's disappointing the House has supported such a policy, but that there's time for people to convince the Indiana Senate that the bill is flawed and to go a different direction.