Bush to sign JNC bill.

It's official.

In a press release seeking applicants to Florida's judicial nominating commissions, Gov. Jeb Bush announced on May 25 that he would sign HB 367, which increases his power over appointments to JNCs, when it reaches his desk.

The governer solicited applications from both lawyers and nonlawyers, and the deadline is June 15. (See notice at right.)

"I look forward to receiving applications from a diverse range of people who share my commitment to ensuring the excellence of our state court system," Bush said in a press release. "Each day, judges make decisions that affect our lives, our liberty and our property. Service on a JNC offers an exciting opportunity to assist me in finding men and women of the highest ability and integrity to serve as judges in our state."

The bill banishes the old method of picking JNC members where the Bar chose three lawyers, the governor selected three lawyers or nonlawyers, and those six then picked another three nonlawyer members.

Under the new bill, the governor gets five outright appointments to the JNCs, two of whom must be attorneys...