This morning Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed into law the first bill of the 2013 legislative session.

The law changes the way the judges of the Court of Appeals are selected. Under the new system, the Governor will appoint someone to a judicial vacancy and the Senate must confirm them.

Currently, Appeals Court judges are nominated by the Supreme Court Nominating Commission which is made of five members elected by the Kansas Bar,  and four members appointed by the governor.

HB 2019 allows the governor to appoint a qualified person to fill any vacancy of the Appeals Court who is subject to approval by the Kansas Senate.  Known as the federal process, this procedure is similar to how justices for the United States Supreme Court are appointed.