The bill amends Section 5-1-102 of the Montana Code Annotated to prohibit the Supreme Court from selecting certain individuals as the presiding officer of the Districting and Apportionment Commission. Under the current law, if the four designated commissioners fail to select a fifth member within 20 days, a majority of the Supreme Court is responsible for making that selection. The new legal language specifies that the Supreme Court may not choose a fifth member who has made a campaign contribution in the past 10 years to a major party candidate for state or federal office.

This change aims to ensure that the selection of the presiding officer is free from potential conflicts of interest related to campaign contributions, thereby promoting fairness and impartiality in the commission's operations. The bill reflects a legislative effort to enhance the integrity of the districting and apportionment process in Montana.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 5-1-102
HB0711_1(1): 5-1-102
HB0711_1(2): 5-1-102
HB0711_1(3): 5-1-102
HB0711_1(4): 5-1-102
HB0711_1(5): 5-1-102
HB0711_1(6): 5-1-102
HB0711_1(7): 5-1-102
HB0711_1: 5-1-102
HB0711_X(1): 5-1-102
HB0711_X(2): 5-1-102
HB0711_X(3): 5-1-102
HB0711_X(4): 5-1-102
HB0711_X(5): 5-1-102
HB0711_X: 5-1-102