LANSING -- Michigan is now the second of the Great Lakes states whose legislatures have begun a serious effort to introduce public financing for state Supreme Court elections.

Democratic State Sen. Deborah L. Cherry recently sponsored a bill that would let taxpayers check a box indicating they want some of their tax dollars directed to an election fund. The scheme was introduced in the House and is currently before the Senate and would have provided about $2 million if effective this year.

Last month the Wisconsin Senate approved a bill that would also allow for taxpayer-financing of SC election campaigns, LNL reported. It would allow for around $2.5 million of general revenue for qualified candidates to draw on.

Supporters of the Michigan measure say the change is needed because financial donations to Justices' election campaigns are now undermining the public's trust in the court. But opponents of public financing of such campaigns say the problem lies in the partisan way that candidates are selected in the first place.

"[T]his is nothing more than a simple, feel-good approach to a complex problem," one commentator wrote. "If Lansing is serious about Supreme Court reform, there are plenty of places to start. Public financing is not one of them."