On February 18, the Montana House State Administration Committee passed HB 521 by a vote of 12-6. This bill converts all Montana judicial elections to partisan elections. Currently, state judges who desire another term appear on the ballot with a “Yes” and “No” space next to their names, and voters can choose either to retain that judge or reject him or her. When a judicial seat becomes vacant, Montana holds candidate-against-candidate elections, but these are non-partisan elections.
If the bill passes, there will be no more retention elections. All judges would need to run for re-election in partisan elections. The bill is opposed by the Montana Judges Association and the Montana Bar Association.
The Montana house will be working hard to get bills out of the House and into the Senate by Thurday. And also the other way around. There was another bill that would allow political parties to endorse judges. You would think the lawyers in the House would vote to kill this bill.
Party hack judges = party hack *justice* in the party hack courts.
NONPARTISAN App.V. for ALL elected executive officers and ALL judges.
How many nazi Elephants in MT ???