Kansas court decision spurs activity in Minnesota

A Golden Valley lawyer has asked a federal judge to consider a recent ruling from another state in his bid to loosen speech restrictions on judicial candidates.

Greg Wersal filed a federal lawsuit in March to allow judicial candidates to personally solicit campaign contributions and to endorse other candidates for political office.

Wersal's attorney wrote a letter to federal judge Ann Montgomery asking her to consider last week's ruling by the Kansas Supreme Court.

That ruling struck down as unconstitutional a Kansas rule, which like Minnesota barred judicial candidates from personally soliciting campaign contributions.

That same court upheld a ban against endorsements.

The Minnesota Attorney General's office also filed a letter to notify Montgomery that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a judicial campaign funding case involving a West Virginia justice.