Why I’m appointing a new Senate committee

I recently announced that I’m in the process of appointing a new committee of the state Legislature.

The Senate Select Committee on Judicial Oversight and Reform is a bipartisan committee that will be made up of state senators, representatives and members of the public. It will be charged with addressing violations of the state’s constitutional separation of powers by the Montana Supreme Court and certain district court judges. 

A series of troubling judicial rulings at the district court and Supreme Court levels spurred this decision. A majority of state senators recently signed a letter condemning an unconstitutional veto override poll ordered by the courts. Multiple senators, including leadership, have raised alarm about a Supreme Court ruling interfering with internal legislative rules.