A Senate committee has passed a bill that would allow the governor to pick the chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court on Friday.
SB109 passed 4-2 along party lines, with both Democrats voting against the measure.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City, introduced a substitute bill that extends the term the chief justice would serve to six years.
Jenkins said the aim of the bill is to strengthen the checks and balances of the branches of government.
Justice Jill Parrish told The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board this week that SB109 is unnecessary, inconsistent with the notion of judicial independence and the separation of powers, and has the potential to cause dissension among the five justices.
Sen. Ben McAdams, D-Salt Lake City, agreed, saying, "I haven't heard of a problem that needs balancing."
He said the bill "will have a chilling effect on our court."
Jenkins said he addressed concerns that the change would make the chief justice beholden to the governor by making the term six years and staggering it so that a governor would not appoint more than one chief justice unless he or she were elected to a second term.
Everyone who spoke before the committee was against the measure.
