Still looking for reasons to change Missouri's nonpartisan courts plan

Barb Shelly of The Star has a good response to today's announcement that conservative activists will be trying to gut the state's widely-praised judicial selection plan with a ballot initiative.

Conservatives, who claim the current system is liberal-leaning and favors trial lawyers, have been trying to change it for years. But they never seem to be able to cite even one decision by a statewide court which reflects a "liberal bias" or preference for the trial attorneys.

In fact, the one ruling opponents have named to argue for a change in Missouri was a school finance edict -- by the state Supreme Court in Kansas.

Opponents of the so-called Missouri Plan contend it's riddled with politics. And, in fact, it is a political process. But I can't imagine it's anywhere near as political as having the governor select judicial candidates (let the campaign contributions flow!) and the senate confirm the person. Missouri legislators have trouble getting their business done as it is, without tying up their days grilling judges. (emphasis added) 

After all this time, the group still hasn't come up with any compelling reasons to junk our current system. Pretty telling, no?