Power over Montana's judicial branch is at the center of a debate over the constitutionality of a new law that gives the governor more options to fill midterm vacancies on the state bench. The Montana ACLU, the State Bar of Montana, Montana trial attorney associations and former state legislators are a few of the groups opposing the law at the Montana Supreme Court. According to local reports, Chief Justice McGrath of the Montana Supreme Court had to recuse himself from the case because he lobbied against S.B. Before the bill was passed, the Montana Supreme Court Administrator conducted a poll sent via email to members of the Montana judiciary asking for their position on S.B. As of Thursday night, all of the state Supreme Court justices had been served with a legislative subpoena and must produce information by Monday.

Source: Fox News April 16, 2021 23:26 UTC