Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has chosen his former legal counsel, a staunchly pro-life judge named Caleb Stegall to fill a vacancy on the Kansas Supreme Court.
Stegall served as Gov. Brownback’s legal counsel early in his administration. Last year Brownback nominated Stegall to the Kansas Court of Appeals, and Friday boosted him onto the highest court in the state.
“I’d like to say on a personal note, I believe Caleb Stegall to be one of the most qualified people ever to go on the Kansas Supreme Court,” said Brownback.
Stegall finished third in his KU Law School class in 1999. He’s been a steady critic of court-ordered school funding, including a recent decision forcing Kansas lawmakers to spend more on education. He supported “forcible resistance” to block a court order taking a brain damaged woman named Terri Schiavo off of life support.
“He’s absolutely a moralist”
Michael Smith an Associate Professor of Political Science at Emporia State University says Stegall is an interesting choice.
“He’s a conservative intellectual,” says Smith. “He’s an old school conservative.”
“A conservative from maybe 100 years ago,” continues Smith. A conservative that is very much about upholding moral values, as opposed to the more modern day libertarian conservatives that are all about limited government.”
Smith says the Stegall, Brownback’s first appointment to the KS Supreme Court, will move the court to the right.
“One area where Stegall is clearly, clearly conservative is on abortion rights. He is very strongly, passionately anti-abortion.” says Smith. “Stegall would also be no friend to the rights of same-sex couples, same-sex marriage, anything like that. So, I think on social issues he’s going to be very conservative.”
Smith says Stegall has distinguished himself as a strong proponent of home schooling, and school choice.
“He is the kind of conservative that would just not big fan of public schools in general, on the grounds that they are too bureaucratic, and too secular, and it should be more about home and church and community when it comes to schooling,” says Smith.
Brownback’s Democratic opponent in the November governor’s race, Paul Davis, issued a statement accusing Brownback of putting his political agenda before the interests of Kansans.
