March 29, 2024 -- Since 2006, Gavel to Gavel has tracked state-by-state legislative activity with potential impact on state courts.
New and active legislation includes:
- Judicial Security
- Idaho legislature sends governor bill to expand protections for street addresses of judges in the state;
- Maryland House Judiciary Committee approves Senate version of the Judge Andrew F. Wilkinson Judicial Security Act which would among other things allow judges to ask governmental entities or others not to publish personal information on the Internet, social media, or social networks and remove the information from any existing publication;
- Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee approves a bill making an assault against a participant in judicial proceedings a Class E felony; and
- Wisconsin governor signs into law a package of three bills to protect judges in the state.
approves bill to limit access and publication of information regarding judges and their families; Senate had previously approved a similar bill.
- Judicial Selection
- Connecticut Joint Committee on Judiciary approves a plan to change the composition of the Judicial Selection Commission and provide that those approved as "qualified candidates" for judicial office are to remain on the "qualified" list for no more than eight years; candidates denied a recommendation by the commission would also be given the reasons for rejection in writing and a right to a rehearing.
- Salaries and Compensation
- Georgia Senate passes a constitutional amendment that would raise the retirement age of superior court judges and change the ability of counties to supplement judicial salaries.
- Other
- Louisiana Senate committee approves constitutional amendment to change judicial discipline in the state; provides an investigation by the disciplinary commission may be instituted by either a majority of the supreme court or by recommendation of the commission itself; efforts to change the composition of the judicial disciplinary commission itself were removed in committee.