The bill introduces a new provision that disqualifies judges from participating in proceedings if they have received political contributions exceeding a specified amount from parties involved in the case, their attorneys, or related entities. It outlines the circumstances under which a judge must be disqualified, including contributions made in support of the judge's election or contributions to organizations that supported the judge's election. Additionally, it mandates that parties involved in the proceedings disclose any relevant contributions to the judge and establishes a process for filing complaints regarding violations of this provision with the Judicial Standards Commission, the Commissioner of Political Practices, or a district court.

The bill also amends existing laws to incorporate these new disqualification rules and repeals a previous section related to judicial conflict of interest. It emphasizes the public nature of complaints and investigations unless privacy is required, and it establishes penalties for attempts to circumvent the disqualification provisions. The definitions of key terms such as "contribution" and "judge" are provided to clarify the scope of the bill. Overall, the legislation aims to enhance judicial integrity by preventing conflicts of interest arising from political contributions.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2-2-136, 3-1-1105