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Committee approves bill allowing optional party labels for Supreme Court candidates
Summary
After hours of testimony for and against, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 5–3 to pass SB 543, which would permit Supreme Court candidates to adopt a party label on the ballot if they choose; opponents warned it would politicize the court.
Senate Bill 543 would give Supreme Court candidates the option to display a party label on the ballot. Sponsor Senator Wiley Galt described the measure as permissive rather than mandatory and said it would leave nonpartisan choices intact.
Opponents, including Big Sky 55+, the Northern Plains Resource Council, and multiple civic groups, argued partisan labeling risks undermining public confidence and judicial independence for Montana’s highest court. Several witnesses urged a public referendum before changing longstanding nonpartisan practice.
Supporters and some sponsors argued the public is poorly informed about judicial candidates and that a label would help voters identify judicial philosophies. Committee discussion ranged from questions about campaign money to whether labels would change public expectations of judges.
After debate the committee took a roll-call vote and recorded five yes and three no votes; the motion to pass SB 543 carried and the bill was passed out of Senate Judiciary.
