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Kansas Supreme Court May Review Case Dealing With Its Power

Chief Justice Lawton Nuss won't rule out having the Kansas Supreme Court review a lawsuit that involves an attempt by the Legislature to diminish the high court's administrative power.

Nuss said Thursday the high court could invoke what he called "the rule of necessity" to settle whether legislators can strip the Supreme Court of the power to appoint chief district court judges in each of the state's 31 judicial districts. A 2014 law gave that power to the district court judges in each district.

A district court judge struck down the law Wednesday.

Nuss said it might not be practical to replace Supreme Court justices with what he called strangers to hear an appeal.

But Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Jeff King noted that the court has criticized the policy involved.

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