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The state Senate voted today to give the governor more control of future judicial appointments. Right now the governor appoints five members to the Judicial Nominating Commission and the Florida Bar picks four. The bill passed today would allow the governor to kick his predecessor’s appointees off the commission and pick five new ones. Senate Democrat Maria Sachs says the bill threatens the separation of powers.

“The executive must not have control of the legislative and the legislative and executive should have no undue control over the judicial,” said Sachs.

The Judicial Nominating Commission selects a pool of candidates, then the Governor gets to pick a judge from the pool. Democrats see the move as a way to give the governor more control of the state’s Supreme Court.