Alaska bill would change judicial selection system by The Associated Press Last Updated Feb 18, 2021 at 9:44 am EDT ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A proposed bill would upend Alaska’s longstanding system for choosing judges by allowing the governor to make direct appointments to two levels of the state’s judiciary. The bill introduced by Republican Sen. Mike Shower is part of an effort by conservatives to reshape the state’s judicial selection system, the Anchorage Daily News reported Wednesday. Under Alaska’s system, the governor must nominate judges from a list of qualified applicants submitted by the Alaska Judicial Council, which is made up of three community members and three lawyers chosen by the Alaska Bar Association. The Alaska Supreme Court chief justice has a tie-breaking vote.