William Satterberg, a longtime Fairbanks attorney and former assistant attorney general for Alaska, has laid out a compelling argument for how to transform the way Alaska selects its judges.

Rather than letting the liberal leaning seven-member Alaska Judicial Council weed out all conservative applications for judgeships, Satterberg argues that Alaska should make the Judicial Council merely advisory with zero vetting power. They could offer their opinions on those applying for judgeships but the governor would still have the ability to choose solid constitutionalist judges. As things currently stand, conservative applicants never see the light of day because the Judicial Council refuses to forward their names to the governor.

Check out Satterberg’s column at the Alaska Policy Forum.