A second attempt to keep Montana judicial races nonpartisan has been launched.

The group Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts filed two initiative language proposals with the Montana Secretary of State’s office Friday.

The first proposal would amend the state Constitution to require that judicial elections remain nonpartisan. The second proposal goes a step further by requiring any new court created by the Legislature to also be nonpartisan.

The initiatives proposed come after failed attempts by Republicans in the Montana Legislature to either require judges to declare party affiliation or give them the option to declare. The bills failed, but lawmakers did make it legal for political parties to donate directly to judicial candidates.

The initiative, if successful at gathering the requ

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