The legislation from father-and-son Republican lawmakers both saw debate Tuesday.
One bill to give the governor direct appointment power over judicial vacancies cleared an initial reading in the Senate. That s Senate Bill 140, carried by Sen. Keith Regier, a Kalispell Republican. The vote fell on party lines, 31-19, with GOP support and Democratic opposition.
Sen. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, during the Senate floor debate called the bill a power grab to control the third branch of government. This is a bad idea, Sands said. What s it really about? Well in my view, this is a power grab by the current governor to be able to handpick judges without independent vetting or adequate public input or transparency.