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Committee adopts amendment limiting published judge-evaluation comments; majority report follows
Summary
Committee voted to adopt an amendment barring publication of questionnaire comments while releasing evaluation scores, and later voted OTPA (ought to pass with amendment) on HB1130; debate centered on transparency versus judicial independence.
The Judiciary Committee took executive-session action on HB1130, a measure revising judicial evaluations, and adopted an amendment that removes evaluative comments from any published report while allowing summary scores and other evaluation components to remain in the public record.
The amendment prompted extended debate. Opponents warned that publishing individual judges' scores could politicize and "weaponize" evaluations, while proponents said public scores (without comments) would improve accountability and judicial performance. Representative Birch argued the change could lead to targeted "piling on" and undermine judicial independence; the chair and supporters said the amendment balanced transparency and privacy concerns.
After debate the amendment passed on a roll call (9 yeas, 7 nays). The committee then voted the OTPA (ought to pass with amendment) motion on HB1130; the main motion likewise passed on a roll call (9 yeas, 7 nays). The chair said he would prepare the majority report and Representative Smith would file the minority report.
Votes recorded by roll call matched the amendment tally: the amendment carried 9'0 7; the OTPA motion carried 9'0 7.
The committee scheduled majority and minority reports per usual committee practice.
