Kansas Senate hearings begin Tuesday on Gov. Sam Brownback's nominee for the state Court of Appeals.
Brownback chose his office's top attorney, Caleb Stegall, to fill the seat on the second-highest court in Kansas. This is a the first appointment under a new system in which the governor chooses nominees for the Kansas Court of Appeals, who then must be confirmed by the state Senate.
Republican Jeff King of Independence, Kan. chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. He said last month that the proceedings will begin with a quick refresher on the new selection process.
“After that, we will have testimony both for and against the nominee, like any other bill, and we’ll have testimony from the nominee as well. And then, we’ll take committee questions,” said King.
The special session was called to fix the state's Hard 50 sentencing law for convicted murders. That law was called into question after a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
The state Constitution requires appointments to be considered during the special session, as well.
