Bill > HB1321

This bill requires any county in Missouri that is not currently operating under the nonpartisan court plan to hold a vote at the next general election after August 28, 2026, to decide whether to adopt or reject the nonpartisan court plan. The nonpartisan court plan typically refers to a judicial selection method where judges are chosen based on merit and professional qualifications rather than political affiliation, with judges initially appointed through a merit selection process and then periodically standing for retention elections. By mandating this countywide vote, the bill gives local voters the opportunity to potentially change their county's judicial selection system, potentially moving away from a partisan approach to a more merit-based judicial selection process.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1321&year=2025&code=R