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Bill would shift original jurisdiction over ballot disputes to district courts; opponents warn of delay and burden
Summary
Senate Bill 13 would move most original jurisdiction for ballot-statement and related challenges away from the Montana Supreme Court and toward district courts for fact-finding before appellate review.
Senate Bill 13, presented to the House Judiciary Committee, would remove most of the Montana Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction over matters such as ballot-statement challenges and instead route those matters to district court for fact-finding before appellate review.
Sponsor testimony framed the change as a rule-of-process fix. The sponsor told the committee the bill was intended to ensure fact-finding occurs before the Supreme Court considers ballot disputes, saying the current route can leave the high court “shooting from the hip” because it lacks a factual record.
Opponents said the existing process already provides for…
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