Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
AUSTIN - Earlier this month voters passed Proposition 12, approving a Texas Constitutional amendment that gives the governor control over the majority of members appointed to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
The SCJC is an independent Texas state agency responsible for investigating allegations of judicial misconduct and judicial disability.
During the 89th Texas Legislature, Senate Joint Resolution 27 was introduced, an amendment regarding the SCJC membership and the membership of the tribunal to review the commission's recommendations. The amendment aims to allow the Texas Supreme Court to more effectively sanction judges and justices for judicial misconduct.
SJR 27 shakes up how the members of the SCJC are appointed. Currently, the commission is made up of six judges appointed by the Texas Supreme Court, two attorneys appointed by the State Bar of Texas and five citizens appointed by the governor.
The resolution calls for the two lawyers appointed by the bar to be replaced by additional citizens appointed by the governor, which means the majority of the body would be hand-picked by the governor.
In 2019, Gov. Greg Abbott removed two SCJC members after they voted to discipline a justice of the peace for refusing to perform same-sex marriages.
Opponents of the measure argue it gives Abbott leverage over Democratic judges by allowing him to decide the majority on the commission.
Election results show more than 2.9 million Texans voted on Proposition 12, with 62 percent voting in favor of the amendment. Harris County hauled in the most votes with more than 423,000, as 55 percent of Harris County residents voted for the amendment.
Most of the larger counties in Texas voted for Proposition 12, aside from Travis County, which saw 65 percent of its residents vote against the amendment.
SCJC was sponsored by state Senators Joan Huffman, Judith Zaffirini and Rep. Jeff Leach.
