Hi friend,
The Supreme Court has been rocked by scandals in recent months, with justices like Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch accused of ethical misconduct, and just a few weeks ago issued yet another ruling further restricting the EPA.
Even before then, California Environmental Voters and other progressive and environmental organizations had been calling for significant court reform to make the Supreme Court not only greener but also more democratic and accountable to the American people.
Congress expanded the Court to nine justices in 1869 to match the number of federal circuit courts. Yet as the number of circuit courts has grown to 13 today, the Supreme Court has stuck with nine seats. In addition, the Supreme Court currently has no binding code of ethics, with justices rarely, if ever, recusing themselves in case even with seemingly glaring conflicts of interest.
EnviroVoters supports adding at least four more seats to the bench and implementing a binding, enforceable code of ethics, especially regarding recusals and financial disclosures. What do you think, friend?
In fact, EnviroVoters is part of a coalition of activist groups organizing a “Just Majority” bus tour calling for a fair, ethical court, with such reforms as expansion, ethics investigations, and term limits. At a stop in Oakland last month, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-12) said that the Court has brought us to “a crisis of democracy.”
Any reforms to the Supreme Court would mark a major change in our institutions, and even the Democratic Party and progressive movement are not in complete unison on specific reforms.
California Environmental Voters Education Fund wants to know what you think, friend, so we’re polling our membership list:
Fill out this one-question survey to tell us whether you support expanding the Supreme Court to at least 13 seats >>
