People hungry for information can listen to an advocate discuss changes needed in the Kansas judicial system today while feeding their stomachs.
Stephen Ware, a professor of law at the University of Kansas, will speak at noon today at Sirloin Stockade, 325 E. Poyntz Ave., to the public and members of the local Americans for Prosperity chapter.
Ware will speak about the selection of Kansas Supreme Court justices.
Jennifer Rezac, communications director for Americans for Prosperity-Kansas, said the luncheon will inform the attendees about how Kansas currently selects its justices and to show that there are better ways to do it.
“People will mingle and eat for a little bit, and then he’ll speak and open it up for questions at the end,” she said.
In November, Ware published “Selection to the Kansas Supreme Court,” and Rezac said he will speak about a different system to select Kansas justices, which he advocates as requiring Senate confirmation of Kansas Supreme Court justices.
Rezac said the event is open to the public, though attendees will need to pay for their own lunch.
“It’s informal, and it’s something we want people to feel comfortable at,” Rezac said. “We’ve had it at various types of places and a lot of restaurants.”
According to a Jan. 9 article in the Lawrence Journal-World, Ware has been giving policy receptions around the state since the beginning of the year.
The article reported that Ware discusses the benefits of changing the current system to where “the governor would nominate a candidate, whose appointment would then be subject to confirmation by the state Senate – similar to the process used by the federal government in selecting federal judges.”
Paul Barkey, Manhattan coordinator for the local AFP chapter, said this is the first time Ware will speak to the Manhattan chapter.
He said the members listen to speakers about economic or political issues every three or four months during lunch or with appetizers in the evening.
Barkey said he expects about 20 to 50 people at the event, which he said will last an hour.
“We’ll eat lunch and have some stimulating input,” Barkey said.
While Manhattan AFP members will attend the event, Barkey said he hopes the Manhattan general public also will come to the open meeting.
“We hope that there will be people particularly interested in this topic and concerned about what’s going on in the judicial system, particularly the control the judicial system is exercising in our culture,” he said.
Barkey said the mission of AFP is to help the state of Kansas, as well as the United States, move ahead as a culture and commit to economically sound practices to remain stable.