This morning the Senate Law and Justice Committee heard testimony on SB 5685: Concerning the election of supreme court justices by district. Under SB 5685 at least one supreme court justice would be elected from Eastern Washington. Here are additional details on why this is important and here is video of my testimony today on SB 5685 (runs from 2:31 to 7:35 with a shout out from Sen. Padden to Columbia Basin College for its facilitation of remote testimony). 

While there were several interesting testimonies offered today both in favor and opposed to SB 5685, one in particular caught my attention. 

This gentleman said he was concerned that allowing district elections for the supreme court would be an attempt to "gerrymander" and "politicize" the court and instead he would like to offer "a friendly amendment" (see 59:37 through 1:02:50):

. . . rather than creating one supreme court with a polarized ideology we instead have two different regional supreme courts with homogeneous ideology. Maybe the counties east of the mountains could secede from the western justice system. Set up their own court and proceed to segregate the schools, reinstitute slavery . . . 

Although I've only lived on the Eastside for a couple years after more than a decade in Olympia, I am happy to report that overturning Brown v Board of Education or reinstituting slavery is not on the agenda for Eastern Washingtonians. 

Though our cost of living may more reflect the 19th Century compared to the Westside, we do have running water, plenty of Wi-Fi for our electrical doohickeys and more PhDs per capita than anywhere else in the country. 

I doubt former Justice Guy had reinstituting slavery in mind when he said: 

It is very important that the Washington State Supreme Court have the diversity of viewpoint that a justice from Eastern Washington brings to the bench.

Or former Governor Gregoire when she appointed Justice Stephens to the Court saying: 

An appointment from Eastern Washington really fundamentally lets our citizens know that we are one Washington and that people in Eastern Washington are represented on this court as well.

Perhaps if the legislature provides more opportunity for remote testimony, those on the Westside will come to learn their brethren on the Eastside may have some differences but aren't cave dwellers.