HB2010 HFAT COWLES 3-9

            Delegate Cowles moves to amend the title to the bill to read as follows:

“AN ACT to amend and reenact §3-1-16 and §3-1-17 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend and reenact §3-4A-11a of said code; to amend and reenact §3-5-4 of said code; to amend said code by adding thereto four new sections, designated §3-5-6a, §3-5-6b, §3-5-6c and §3-5-6d; to amend and reenact §3-5-7, §3-5-13 and §3-5-13a of said code; to amend and reenact §3-10-3 of said code; to amend and reenact §3-12-3, §3-12-6, §3-12-10, §3-12-11, §3-12-12 and §3-12-14 of said code; to amend and reenact §6-5-1 of said code; to amend and reenact §50-1-1 and §50-1-6 of said code; to amend and reenact §51-1-1 of said code; and to amend and reenact §51-2A-5 of said code, all relating to electoral reforms of the West Virginia judiciary generally; requiring the election of justices of the Supreme Court of Appeals, circuit court judges, family court judges and magistrates be on a nonpartisan basis; requiring that elections to certain offices be on a division basis when more than one justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals, circuit judge, family court judge or magistrate is to be elected; providing for the timing and frequency of election; providing for the commencement of terms of office; establishing ballot design and printing; providing that elections for justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals, circuit judge, family court judge or magistrate are to be held on the same date as the primary election; requiring nonpartisan ballots be used; establishing filing announcement of candidacies, including the timing, location and information necessary thereto; providing for the order of appearance of offices on the ballot; establishing ballot content; providing the procedures for the filling of vacancies in the offices of justices of the Supreme Court of Appeals, circuit judge, family court judge or magistrate; providing occasions for special elections to be held to fill vacancies; providing that unsuccessful nonpartisan candidates can be selected to fill ballot vacancies in a general election; providing for the continuing applicability of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Public Campaign Financing Program; modifying the amount of public campaign financing available to qualifying candidates in a contested election; and removing public campaign financing from qualifying candidates in an uncontested election.”