Bill > HB169

This bill revises the standards of conduct for judges and judicial candidates, expanding their political engagement rights. Under the proposed law, judges and judicial candidates would be permitted to attend political events, accept endorsements from political organizations or candidates, and engage in more robust political activities if they are allowed to campaign with a party designation. Specifically, they could act as leaders in political organizations, make speeches on behalf of political candidates, publicly endorse or oppose nonjudicial candidates, solicit and contribute funds to political organizations, and publicly identify themselves as candidates of a specific political organization. The bill is intended to be codified as part of Title 3, Chapter 1 of Montana law, which governs judicial proceedings. Additionally, the bill includes a severability clause, which means that if any part of the law is found to be invalid, the remaining valid parts will still remain in effect. This legislation represents a significant expansion of political participation rights for judges and judicial candidates, potentially allowing them more direct involvement in political processes than previously permitted.

Justice

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC2033