Resources
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2025 Legislative Report
As a nonpartisan legal resource, Friends of the Third Branch monitored 44 bills, actively engaged in 16, and helped block 32 proposals that threatened separation of powers, including attempts to…
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Fact Sheet Senate Bill 42 & House Bill 295: Partisan Election of Judges and Justices
Montana’s judicial elections have been nonpartisan since 1935, when the legislature prohibited political parties from endorsing, contributing to, or making expenditures in support of, or opposition to, judicial candidates. Current…
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Fact Sheet – Senate Bill 45 (SB45)
Create a Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission and System Senate Bill 45 proposes changes that could significantly impact the independence of Montana’s judiciary by altering how judges are selected and retained.…
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Fact Sheet – House Bill 35 (HB35)
Allocating Judicial Standards Commission to the Department of Justice House Bill 35 proposes reallocating the Judicial Standards Commission to the Department of Justice. The Senate Select on Judicial Oversight and…
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Fact Sheet – Senate Bill 21 (SB21)
Allowing Legislative and Executive Leadership to Vacate a Writ of Mandamus Senate Bill 21 proposes a change to state law regarding writs of mandamus-court orders that compel government officials or…
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Fact Sheet – Senate Bill 40 (SB40)
Revise Supreme Court Public Records Laws by Opening Deliberations and Files to the Public Senate Bill 40 proposes the recording of closed judicial deliberations of the Montana Supreme Court and…
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Fact Sheet – Senate Bill 13 (SB13)
Remove Supreme Court Original Jurisdiction for Ballot Review Senate Bill 13 seeks to eliminate the Montana Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction in cases involving ballot reviews, except for writs of habeas…
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Big Sky 55+: Protecting Montana’s Fair and Independent Courts
Big Sky 55+ Legislative Town Hall, featuring Anne Sherwood, Rep. Tom France, and Raph Graybill. Moderated by Big Sky 55+ boardmember Dennis Taylor.
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2025 State of the Judiciary
Chief Justice Cory Swanson provides a document on his thoughts on the State of the Montana Judiciary.
