A group of 15 secretaries of state this week issued their support for the “Keep Nine Amendment” recently introduced in Congress, marking the latest victory for the organization seeking to preserve the independence of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Keep Nine Amendment said in a statement that the secretaries of state sent the letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and House Minority Leader of the House Kevin McCarthy.
Alabama Secretary of State John H. Merrill, one of the letter’s signers, provided the verbiage on his website.
We are writing you today to urge you to pass the “Keep Nine Amendment”, which simply states: “The Supreme Court of the United States shall be composed of nine Justices.”
In recent months, we have heard interest in and efforts to expand the size of the Supreme Court so that it may lean politically. Manipulating the size of the Supreme Court for political advantage would undermine both respect for the Court and the checks and balances system we rely on the (sic) protect our states and Constitutional liberties.
Election officials turned to the Supreme Court in several instances during the 2020 Election Cycle, and it is important that they have the ability to turn once again to a fair, unbiased Court in the future, if necessary.
Seeing as this legislation has been introduced and supported by bipartisan members of Congress, we are hopeful you, too, will vote in favor of this amendment to permanently preserve the current number of nine U.S. Supreme Court Justices.
In addition to Merrill, the letter was signed by Alaska Lieutenant Governor Kevin Meyer, Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Idaho Secretary of State Lawrence Denney, Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson, Kentucky Secretary of State Michael G. Adams, Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, Maryland Secretary of State John C. Wobensmith, Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson, Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond, and West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner.
The Keep Nine Amendment last week said that Republican Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona and 60 members of the U.S. House of Representatives endorsed its work, The Tennessee Star reported.
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Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
