By: Harris  S.B. No. 1705
         (In the Senate - Filed March 9, 2007; March 21, 2007, read
  first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
  April 16, 2007, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 8,
  Nays 0; April 16, 2007, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the requirements of a candidate for certain judicial
  offices to be placed on the ballot.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsection (g), Section 172.021, Election Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (g)  A candidate for the office of chief justice or justice,
  supreme court, or presiding judge or judge, court of criminal
  appeals, who chooses to pay the filing fee must also accompany the
  application with a petition that complies with the requirements
  prescribed for a petition authorized by Subsection (b), except that
  the minimum number of signatures that must appear on the petition
  required by this subsection is 50 from each court of appeals
  district.  This requirement does not apply to a chief justice or
  justice, supreme court, or presiding judge or judge, court of
  criminal appeals, who is seeking reelection to the same position
  that the judicial officeholder currently holds.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
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