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Attorney general’s edits to constitutional initiative went too far, Montana Supreme Court rules
The court found Attorney General Knudsen's edits would mislead voters about a constitutional amendment to maintain nonpartisan judicial elections, with a 4-2 majority ruling.
- On Tuesday, the Montana Supreme Court ruled that Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen went too far editing ballot language for CI-132, siding with Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts with two dissenting justices.
- Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen approved CI-132 in October, following earlier failed efforts this year by Republican legislators to allow judicial candidates to declare party labels.
- Justice James Shea wrote in the majority that the Attorney General's statement failed legal requirements by not fairly stating CI-132, which preserves nonpartisan judicial races as the status quo.
- The petition must gather 60,000 signatures to reach the November 2026 ballot, and the court also unanimously upheld Knudsen's rejection of a separate bundled amendment due to logrolling concerns.
- Chief Justice Cory Swanson's dissent argued that Knudsen's wording implies hidden party affiliations, linking it to conservative claims, while Justice Jim Rice said 'remain' wrongly suggests current nonpartisan elections.
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Attorney General’s Edits to Constitutional Initiative Went Too Far, Montana Supreme Court Rules
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen went too far in editing ballot language for an initiative calling for nonpartisan court elections, the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
·New York, United States
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Associated Press News+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
Attorney general’s edits to constitutional initiative went too far, Montana Supreme Court rules
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen went too far in editing ballot language for an initiative calling for nonpartisan court elections, the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
·United States
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Total News Sources6
Leaning Left2Leaning Right0Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Center
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
67% Center
L 33%
C 67%
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