The governor also appoints members of various executive boards and fills judicial vacancies between elections.
Under the Plan, a non-partisan commission reviews candidates for a judicial vacancy.
This means that judicial vacancies must be filled in a timely manner with well-qualified candidates.
It was used in a statewide election in North Carolina in 2010 to fill a judicial vacancy.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to find qualified candidates for federal judicial vacancies.
Despite an alarming number of judicial vacancies, our courts continue to serve as a standard of excellence around the world.
In response, the Senate began to make progress in reducing judicial vacancies.
The Clinton Administration inherited more than 100 judicial vacancies and has not yet made even its first nomination to any of them.
In fact, some judicial vacancies have been left open as long as three or four years before Clinton selected someone as his choice.
Finally, I remain concerned about the impact sustained judicial vacancies are having on our courts around the country.