February 9, 2024 -- Since 2006, Gavel to Gavel has tracked state-by-state legislative activity with potential impact on state courts.
New and active legislation includes:
- Judicial Security
- Maryland Senate committee advances Judge Andrew F. Wilkinson Judicial Security Act: bill protects the release of information regarding judges, creates Judicial Address Confidentiality Program, and provides for the creation of Task Force to Ensure the Safety of Judicial Facilities;
- Tennessee House committee approves bill to increase penalties for some assaults that occur in courthouses; and
- Virginia Senate approves bill that establishes certain minimum standards for ensuring security and accessibility in quarters for magistrates.
- Judicial Selection
- Maryland Senate committee approves plan to make Orphans' Court elections non-partisan.
- Salaries and Compensation
- New Mexico's plans to set judicial salaries as a percentage of the salaries of federal magistrate judges or to provide for automatic costs of living adjustments fail;
- Virginia Senate committee approves plan to modify state's judicial retirement system benefits; and
- West Virginia House approves plan to allow Supreme Court to set pay scales for judicial support staff; currently, the salaries for several positions are set by statute