CARSON CITY -- A bill that would lead to far fewer candidates for judgeships soliciting campaign contributions won unanimous support Friday from the Assembly Elections Committee.

"This is what they are doing to clean up their act," said committee Chairwoman Ellen Koivisto, D-Las Vegas.

Assembly Bill 505 was drawn up on behalf of the state Supreme Court.

Koivisto noted that the Los Angeles Times ran a series of stories last summer that were critical of Nevada judges for taking campaign contributions from lawyers who had cases before their courts.

Under the bill, candidates for Supreme Court, District Court and lower court judicial positions would have to file for office during the first two weeks in January. They now file during two weeks in May with the candidates for other offices.

Justice Mark Gibbons said if the filing deadline were moved up to January, the court would modify the canons of judicial ethics and prevent candidates who did not draw any opponents from soliciting campaign contributions.

In last year's election, 60 percent of judicial candidates ran without opposition, he said.

Because the filing period has been in May, just three months before the primary election, Gibbons said judges now must begin asking for contributions early in the year on the assumption they will draw opponents.

District Judge Michael Cherry, for example, raised $500,000 in contributions last year, although he did not draw any opposition in his run for the Supreme Court.

"Judges have been interested in reform for years," Gibbons said. "This is a huge first step. The recent media attention brought it to the forefront."

Nobody spoke against the bill.

State Bar of Nevada representatives said the bill would help remove the perception that justice is sold to those who contribute to the campaigns of judges.