The Legislature, which is held by a Republican majority, has rapidly mobilized in the last week to investigate the judiciary for polling judges on pending legislation regarding the courts, while Democrats have denounced the GOP s actions as attempts to undermine the courts.
As multiple controversial bills have moved through this legislative session with GOP support, opponents have vowed to take to the courts to challenge what becomes law. That includes a broad range of bills â from revising the judicial process to allowing openly carried firearms on college campuses and restricting access to health care for transgender youth and limiting abortions.
The Montana Supreme Court on Sunday put the brakes on a legislative inquiry into the state court administratorâs emails, which recent revelations have shown to contain judgesâ polls on pending legislation and were deleted from the administratorâs account.
A dispute over the separation of powers is developing out of a state Supreme Court case over the constitutionality of a new law signed last month expanding the governorâs appointment power over judicial vacancies.Â
On Monday the Senate Republicans, through counsel with the Montana Department of Justice, said they will defy the court s order quashing the subpoena, stating the dispute over judicial emails do not belong in the case challenging the constitutionality of a new law.
The Montana Supreme Court on Sunday put the brakes on a legislative inquiry into the state court administratorâs emails, which recent revelations have shown to contain judgesâ polls on pending legislation and were deleted from the administratorâs account.
A dispute over the separation of powers is developing out of a state Supreme Court case over the constitutionality of a new law signed last month expanding the governorâs appointment power over judicial vacancies.Â
On Monday the Senate Republicans, through counsel with the Montana Department of Justice, said they will defy the court s order quashing the subpoena, stating the dispute over judicial emails do not belong in the case challenging the constitutionality of a new law.