Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Mike McMahon has denied the state Legislature’s bid to dismiss a case brought by Supreme Court Justice Jim Rice, following a similar ruling by the high court in June challenging a subpoena arguing the judicial records are privileged as containing private information. McMahon denied the Legislat...
Montana Legislature Files New Case Challenging Supreme Court Ruling
The Montana Legislature is asking the state Supreme Court to withdraw its opinion and order in a case decided last month where justices unanimously said the Legislature exceeded its authority by subpoenaing judicial records and ordered the immediate return of any of the emails it obtained through subpoenas or copies of those documents to the c...
Supreme Court Rejects State Legislature’s Subpoeana
The Montana Supreme Court has ruled the state Legislature overstepped its authority when it subpoenaed records from the judicial branch without a legislative purpose. Legislature represented by the Republican Attorney General’s Office had argued the Supreme Court should not be able to rule on the matter of their own subpoenas. The unanim...
Subpoenas For Montana Judicial Branch Withdrawn
A legislative committee investigating the judicial branch has withdrawn its subpoenas for Montana Supreme Court records after consulting with the state Department of Justice. The committee had produced a preliminary report by the end of April outlining its concerns with the judicial branch following a month of investigation. Withdrawing the su...
Governor Gianforte Speaks On Recent Court Ruling On Appointing Justices
On Voices of Montana Friday, Governor Greg Gianforte commented on the Montana Supreme Court ruling upholding Senate Bill 140 eliminating the independent commission used to recommend justices leaving the governor with the authority to do it on his own to appoint them. https://northernbroadcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/6-14_637.mp3
SB 140 Ruled Constitutional, Granting Governor Judicial Appointing Power
The Montana Supreme Court has ruled Senate Bill 140 eliminating the judicial vetting panel is a valid new law under the state constitution. Northern News Network’s Eric Young reports. https://northernbroadcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/6-11_737.mp3
Talks Begin For Determining New Montana Congressional Districts
At a meeting of the state Districting and Apportionment Commission Thursday, the debate began to take shape over how the next few years will shake out with the April announcement that Montana will gain a second congressional district in 2022. The commission will draw Montana’s new congressional district along with its 150 legislative dis...
Supreme Court Rejects Challenges To Campus Bills
The Montana Supreme Court has dismissed two petitions seeking the court’s stay on a new law allowing concealed carry-on college campuses that goes into effect Tuesday saying they failed to establish an emergency that could not be first handled in District Court. On May 20th the Montana Board of Regents asked the court to put the brakes o...
Senator Daines Brings Attention To Lumber Prices
The Montana Board of Regents asked the state Supreme Court to block a new law Thursday that would allow people to carry guns on public university campuses while the justices decide who has the constitutional authority to set such policies. Wednesday the regents voted to challenge the parts of House Bill 102 that would allow students and staff ...
Judge McMahon Blocks Subpoena For Court Investigation
District Court Judge Mike McMahon has temporarily blocked a legislative subpoena for Supreme Court Justice Jim Rice’s communications writing in an order the Legislature appears to have exceeded its investigative authority. In recent months, legislative Republicans have opened an investigation into the judicial branch claiming misuse of s...