Three former Pennsylvania governors renewed a call to state lawmakers to allow voters to decide whether appellate court judges should be nominated by the governor after being recommended by a panel of citizens.
 
The advocacy Monday by former Governors Ed Rendell, Tom Ridge and Richard Thornburgh came in the wake of a state Supreme Court justice's corruption conviction. The group made the same plea in 2010, but the state Legislature hasn't shown interest in enabling voters to amend the constitution.
 
The ex-governors say the fundraising and campaigning process creates a public perception of biased judges and justices. Philadelphia-based Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts envisions a panel of lawyers and regular citizens screening candidates and recommending the most qualified to the governor, who then picks one to nominate for Senate confirmation.