Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB646: Elect supreme court by districts
Status: Failed, May 20, 2025
What the bill says
A bill for an act entitled: "an act generally requiring that supreme court justices be elected and appointed from districts; establishing supreme court districts; providing a transition; amending sections 3-2-101 and 13-14-211, mca; providing an applicability date.".
From the engrossed text:
A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT GENERALLY REQUIRING THAT SUPREME COURT JUSTICES BE ELECTED AND APPOINTED FROM DISTRICTS; ESTABLISHING SUPREME COURT DISTRICTS; PROVIDING A TRANSITION; AMENDING SECTIONS 3-2-101 AND 13-14-211, MCA; PROVIDING AN APPLICABILITY DATE." WHEREAS, Article VII, section 8(1), of the Montana Constitution provides that "Supreme court justices and district court judges shall be elected by the qualified electors as provided by law"; and WHEREAS, Article IV, section 4, of the Montana Constitution explicitly grants the legislature power to prescribe "additional qualifications" for "any public office"; and WHEREAS, the current method of electing all state supreme court justices at large has not proved satisfactory in Montana, which differs from most other states in that there is no district-based intermediate appellate court and the population is scattered over a very large area; and WHEREAS, electing supreme court justices by district would increase the likelihood that voters are familiar with candidates for the court; and WHEREAS, states and territories of the United States--including the former Montana Territory--have a long history, dating from the colonial era to the present day, of prescribing that justices of their highest courts are selected in, or otherwise connected with, specific districts; and WHEREAS, the long history of selecting state supreme court justices by district has not resulted in any reported deterioration of the judicial …
Sponsors
- Ler, Brandon (R, 33) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : (H) Died in Process
- : (H) Missed Deadline for General Bill Transmittal
- : (H) 2nd Reading
- : (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- : (H) Committee Report
- : (H) Committee Executive Action
- : (H) Hearing
- : (H) 1st Reading
- : (H) Referred to Committee
- : (H) Introduced
Votes
- Do Pass (March 5, 2025): 48 yea, 50 nay, failed
Subjects: Judges and Justices, Courts, Elections
Common questions
- What is HB646?
- HB646 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Elect supreme court by districts.
- What does HB646 do?
- In its own words: A bill for an act entitled: "an act generally requiring that supreme court justices be elected and appointed from districts; establishing supreme court districts; providing a transition; amending sections 3-2-101 and 13-14-211, mca; providing an applicability date.".
- What is the status of HB646?
- Failed as of May 20, 2025. Latest action: (H) Died in Process (May 20, 2025).
- Who sponsored HB646?
- Ler, Brandon (R, 33).
- Where is the official record for HB646?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC2937
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.