Subcommittee advances judicial-accountability bill with follow-up work requested
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Summary
The panel reported HB441 with a substitute after debate over sharing judicial-performance evaluations and training authority; the Office of the Executive Secretary urged narrower language to avoid exposing midterm self-improvement evaluations.
The subcommittee advanced a substitute to HB441 aimed at modernizing the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission (JIRC) process, increasing transparency and training, and expanding commissioner representation.
Sponsor said the substitute expands the number of commissioners, mandates training and reporting on interventions and sanctions, and would allow JIRC access to certain judicial-performance-evaluation materials in limited circumstances to improve oversight and public confidence.
Brandy Singleton of the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES), which runs the judicial performance evaluation program, cautioned that OES is a separate judicial-branch agency and that sharing midterm, self-improvement evaluations could "weaponize" a tool meant for education and improvement. "If the intent is that JIRC gets the same information that y'all do, we have no objection to that. If the intent is that JIRC gets all of the evaluations even at the self improvement phase, that is problematic," Singleton said and asked for clearer language.
Brad Haywood (online) urged broader transparency and said midterm and end-of-term evaluations are identical in form, arguing greater access to evaluation material could bolster public confidence. The sponsor said he would work with OES and other stakeholders to clarify language while advancing the bill for further committee consideration.
The subcommittee moved and reported the substitute; members signaled a desire to refine technical language before the full committee.