What does CI-132 Do?

CI-132 is a simple initiative that puts one sentence into Montana’s constitution: “judicial elections in Montana shall remain nonpartisan.” Montana began electing judges in nonpartisan elections in 1935 in response to Montana's powerful Copper Kings who were buying judges to rule in their favor. This simple measure protects that long-standing tradition so we can keep judges accountable to the people’s interests, not deep-pocketed political interests.

WHy wE NEED CI-132

Most Montanans interact with judges in family, traffic, civil, and criminal courts, which decide everything from child custody to employment and property disputes. There is no Republican or Democratic way to handle these cases - there’s only the law. Mixing politics with these cases will hurt Montanans who just want a fair and impartial hearing without worrying about politics.

Politics doesn’t belong in our courts, but politicians in Helena recently passed HB39, a law allowing political parties to make financial contributions of nearly $90,000 to Montana judges. That’s a dangerous step toward making judges cater to political parties. We need to protect impartial courts and keep them accountable to the Constitution, not political parties and their money.