Don’t inject partisanship into judicial system

SB-200 is a proposed law that allows candidates for nonpartisan races – including judicial candidates – to announce political affiliations and endorsements. It is currently in the Senate State Administration Committee.

We live in a time when partisanship is tearing us apart. This leads to poor relationships between citizens, between citizens and their representatives, and between the representatives who make our laws.

Poor relationships lead to poor legislative decisions, which can harm the public, or be taken to court at considerable cost to taxpayers.

Of course, most decisions should not be partisan, anyway. They should be practical decisions, responding to actual situations, and improving the day-to-day lives of Montanans.

Most of us would agree that judges, especially, should be making decisions based on the law, and not on partisan concerns. We do not need judges to be thinking in partisan terms, and we do not need to have citizens electing them on that basis.

If you agree, please let the Senate State Administration Committee know how you feel.

Gail Trenfield

St. Ignatius