Don’t politicize our courts
Our Republican legislators are on a mission to politicize Montana’s court system.
Two bills being proposed by our Republican legislators, HJ 5 and SJ 4, would result in our judicial candidates being identified on the ballots as either Republican or Democrat in future elections. Is there not already too much political divide in our state?
By requiring a judicial candidate to select a party affiliation we are introducing a potential bias into a judicial system that should be independent, free and fair.
Montana’s court system has served us well for over 90 years. Our courts have been rated as one of the best systems in the country.
It is interesting to compare the respect of Montana’s courts with the disrepute of courts in the seven states that have politicized their judiciary. Politicizing courts results in a less democratic system.
Republicans have accused Montana’s Supreme Court of being too liberal due to overturning bills previously identified by the state’s Legislative Services Division as being unconstitutional. In reality, the courts were simply defending Montana’s Constitution.
Please contact your elected representatives and tell them Montana needs a non-partisan, independent judiciary without political bias and to vote NO on HJ 5 and SJ 4.
– Craig McClure, Polson