The ISBA Board of Governors voted March 30 to support legislation to establish voluntary public financing of election campaigns of candidates for the Supreme and Appellate Courts.

Senate Bill 222, the Judicial Campaign Reform Act, would create a Democracy Trust Fund to provide money to eligible participating candidates in the amounts of $750,000 for a Supreme Court campaign and $250,000 for an Appellate Court campaign.

Additional limited matching funds would be given to a participant if a non-participating opponent were to spend more than those amounts.

Members of the Board of Governors approved the concept as an alternative to a preferred system of appointive selection, but will not support increases in civil filing and appearance fees as mechanisms for funding the proposal.

Other sources would be public donations and a voluntary income tax check-off.

Other legislative proposals reviewed by the board are:

H.B. 511, settlement and verdict information made public under the Open Meetings Act; the board took no position.

H.B. 1615 and HJRCA 1, same-sex civil unions; referred to the ISBA Assembly.

H.B. 1798, grief and sorrow damages allowed in the Wrongful Death Act; the board supports.

S.B. 747, changes to admissibility of medical bills; the board supports.

S.B. 1296, changes in joint and several liability; the board took no position.