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Montana House Judiciary advances bill allowing party labels on Supreme Court ballots
Summary
The House Judiciary committee advanced HB 8 38, which would let Supreme Court candidates list party affiliation and advance the top two primary vote-getters; opponents from the State Bar, trial lawyers and civic groups warned the change would politicize the bench and undermine public trust.
The House Judiciary committee on [date not specified] voted to advance House Bill 8 38, a measure that would permit candidates for chief justice and justice of the Montana Supreme Court to announce a political party affiliation or run as nonpartisan and would send the top two primary finishers to the general election.
Sponsor Brandon Lear told the committee the bill is optional and ‘‘may, not shall’’ require a candidate to declare an affiliation, and that the top two vote-getters would advance to the general election. ‘‘This will allow our judges to run under any party affiliation that they want to, including nonpartisan,’’ Lear said during his opening remarks.
Opponents…
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