SENATE BILL NO. 42

INTRODUCED BY TAYLOR M

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT SUBMITTING TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF MONTANA AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE VII, SECTION 7, OF THE MONTANA CONSTITUTION TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF YEARS IN SUPREME COURT JUSTICES' TERMS FROM 8 TO 6 YEARS; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND AN APPLICABILITY DATE."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

Section 1. Article VII, section 7, of The Constitution of the State of Montana is amended to read:

"Section 7. Terms and pay. (1) All justices and judges shall be paid as provided by law, but salaries shall not be diminished during terms of office.

(2) Terms of office shall be six years for supreme court justices, six years for district court judges, four years for justices of the peace, and as provided by law for other judges."

NEW SECTION. Section 2. Submission to electorate. This amendment shall be submitted to the qualified electors of Montana at the general election to be held in November 2000 by printing on the ballot the full title of this act and the following:

[]	FOR reducing the length of terms of supreme court justices.

[]	AGAINST reducing the length of terms of supreme court justices.

NEW SECTION. Section 3. Effective date -- applicability. If approved by the electorate, this amendment is effective January 1, 2001, and applies to supreme court terms that begin during or after 2003.

- END -