FEBRUARY 6, 2025 -- Since 2006, Gavel to Gavel has tracked state-by-state legislative activity with potential impact on state courts.
Featured State - Montana
- House approves bills to:
- require supreme court deliberations be recorded and subject to public inspection
- allow judges to participate in partisan events and activities and declare party affiliations
- allow political parties to contribute to judicial candidates
- allow for impeachment of judges for "oppressive use of one's office"
- remove the Supreme Court's original jurisdiction for ballot review
- audit the state bar of Montana
- prohibit a judge from serving as chair of the judicial standards commission
- administratively transfer the judicial standards commission to the attorney general's office
- set the burden of proof for the Supreme Court to overturn a statute as "unconstitutional beyond a reasonable doubt"
- Senate Judiciary Committee approves bill to:
- create a judicial performance evaluation commission and system
- require the partisan election of judges
- prohibit the use of retired judges to hear constitutional cases