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Lawmakers have whirlwind day at Capitol as transmittal deadline nears
Lawmakers did not stray from hot-button issues and fiery debates on Monday as they fought against the clock to dispose of more than 140 bills across both chambers before the legislative transmittal deadline on Wednesday, by which time most policy proposals must advance to the opposite chamber or die. As it worked through an hours’ […]
Attempt to delay recreational pot rollout gets tabled in committee
A bill that would have delayed the rollout of recreational marijuana in Montana by one year failed to pass out of committee Friday morning. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Bill Mercer, R-Billings, introduced House Bill 457 to the House Business and Labor Committee Friday. In November voters passed Initiative 190 that would allow for the sale […]
Four abortion bills pass initial vote on Senate floor
Four bills limiting access to abortion healthcare in Montana passed initial votes in the Senate on Thursday. Gov. Greg Gianforte has announced support for two of the bills — House bills 136 and 167 — that, respectively, would ban abortions after 20 weeks and send a referendum to voters to establish the “Born Alive Infant […]
Montana fails to recognize white supremacist groups as terrorists
House Republican Rep. Derek Skees of Kalispell questioned the existence of white supremacist groups in the state at a Tuesday hearing about a resolution condemning violence from white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups. “Could you please name me one white supremacist group in Montana?” Skees asked the resolution’s sponsor, Rep. Mary Ann Dunwell, a Democrat from […]
Bill limiting ballot collection passes House Judiciary Committee
A nearly identical bill to Ballot Interference Protection Act, which was struck down in court last fall for disproportionately affecting rural Native American communities’ ability to collect voter ballots, passed the House Judiciary Committee on a 12-7 party-line vote with Republican support. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mark Noland, R-Bigfork, was unfazed by the court ruling […]
House Judiciary Committee tables bill that would repeal death penalty
A bill that would have repealed the death penalty in Montana was tabled by the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday on an 11-8 vote. House Bill 335 sponsor Rep. Ed Stafman, R-Bozeman, said the bill would protect inmates on death row that are falsely accused and would save the state money as death penalty cases can […]
Committee passes bill that prohibits ‘discrimination based on vaccination status’
After a lengthy discussion Tuesday morning, the House Judiciary Committee passed a bill that would bar schools, hospitals, and public and private businesses from discriminating against or denying service to people based on vaccination status. House Bill 415, sponsored by Manhattan Republican Rep. Jennifer Carlson, passed on party lines 12-7 with Republican support. The bill […]
Bill limiting medical care for transgender youth passes committee again
Before the House Judiciary Committee again passed a bill limiting medical care to transgender youth, Shawn Reagor told legislators House Bill 427 would have life or death consequences. Reagor said he spent hours in the emergency room’s parking lot last week waiting to learn the fate of a 19-year-old transgender woman who attempted suicide. The […]
Doctor: bill limiting trans care is ‘huge infringement’ on duty to do no harm
The state’s only pediatric urologist fears she will have to relocate if a bill barring gender-affirming surgeries on transgender youth passes into law — even though she has never performed such a surgery on a minor. “I don’t do gender-affirming surgery for children,” said Dr. Erin Grantham, a board-certified pediatric urologist who has been practicing […]
Bill expanding religious freedom defense passes committee
A bill that would strengthen Montanans’ ability to deny services if it substantially burdens their religious beliefs passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday on a 7-4 party-line vote with Republican support. Senate Bill 215 was amended to include the word “substantially” before “burden.” During testimony, opponents noted the modifier is necessary to […]
Belgrade Rep wants voters to decide when ‘personhood’ begins
Montana voters may have the chance to answer a question the United States Supreme Court intentionally left unresolved in its 1973 Roe V. Wade ruling — when does life begin? House Bill 337, sponsored by Rep. Caleb Hinkle, R-Belgrade, would put a constitutional amendment to the voters in November 2022 to decide if “personhood” begins […]
House allows for new version of failed bill to be heard
The House Rules Committee decided on a party-line vote Tuesday that a bill aiming to limit the type of medical care transgender youth can receive will be allowed to continue through the legislative process despite a nearly identical bill failing earlier in the session. House Minority leader Kim Abbott, D-Helena, objected to the first reading […]