A bill that would reduce the number of Montana Supreme Court justices during the next few years would create backlogs that would delay judicial decisions and might violate the constitution.
A bill introduced by Sen. John Fuller would move the court administrator from the supervision of the Montana Supreme Court to the direction of the Clerk of the Supreme Court, an elected political office.
Lawmakers are considering new regulations for the state’s judicial branch. Tensions have been rising between Republican lawmakers and the judiciary since last legislative session.