Kansas Chief Justice Lawton R. Nuss penned an op-ed in The Hutchinson News last week, criticizing a deal in which legislators will give the courts more money in exchange for “reforms” made to the judicial branch:

Legislative money is being offered to keep all Kansas courts open after July 1—in direct exchange for some important restructuring of the judicial branch. More specifically, the money would be given if the KDJA [Kansas District Judges Association] endorsed the ‘package deal.’

The legislation would give the chief judges in each of Kansas’ 31 judicial districts the power to submit and control their own budgets. The judges in each of these districts would also able to choose their own chief. The Kansas Supreme Court currently has control over both of these actions.