The North Dakota House of Representatives voted down a bill on Monday that aimed to make significant changes to the authority of the state Supreme Court. House Concurrent Resolution 3021 sought to remove the governor’s power to appoint justices and judges and instead give this responsibility to an independent commission. It also aimed to nullify court decisions that violated laws or constitutions and remove the Supreme Court’s ability to regulate attorneys and make judges liable for their actions.
The primary sponsor of the resolution, Rep. Lori VanWinkle, claimed that citizens’ rights were being violated by judges and attorneys in North Dakota, but did not provide examples. However, opponents argued that the proposed changes were unnecessary as similar rules were already in place. They also highlighted the potential damage to the Judiciary, particularly the removal of judges’ immunity from lawsuits related to their decisions.
The resolution ultimately failed in a decisive 80-13 vote on the House floor after receiving a narrow 7-6 recommendation not to pass from the House Judiciary Committee.
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