Week 2: Legislative Session Update
You may have noticed that the State Senate had a bit of a late start getting to work last week and may be wondering what happened!
To make a long story a bit easier to digest, Minority Leader Pat Flowers (D-Belgrade) made a motion, which 9 Republicans senators voted to support, which broke up a newly created Executive Branch Review Committee and redistributed those members to other important committees. The Executive Branch Review Committee was projected to not have much work to do and consolidated the Solutions Caucus Republican members. This potentially limited their power as a caucus giving more power to extremist conservatives.
Matt Regier, the Senate President, paused all work by the Senate and instead spent the first week of an important legislative session fighting to reverse the decision, ultimately failing and conceding the committee change for now.
This is an exciting development for issue advocates who care about things like reauthorizing Medicaid Expansion, creating a well balanced budget, and many other issue areas! It's important that we, as advocates and concerned citizens, connect with Senators to ensure that this step toward creating real solutions for Montanans isn't the only step taken this session.
Stay involved by checking out some of the legislation below and finding a way that you can engage!
In solidarity,
Julia Maxon
Program Director
Take Action
It's going to take all of us to create a Montana where there is justice, safety, and dignity for all. This means that we need YOU to take contact your legislator this legislative session.
✅ Call the capitol switchboard at 406-444-4800
The switchboard is open 7 AM to 5:30 PM M-F
State your name, where you're located, and ask to leave a message Supporting / Opposing the bill you want to leave comment on
There's a new system for leaving message to legislators this year that does require you to create an account. You'll need to go to legmt.gov/participate
Be sure to enter in your email address and press verify to get a confirmation code. Note: you will not be able to proceed forward in the form if you do not complete this first step.
To testify virtually, go to legmt.gov/participate. Like submitting a public comment, you will need to create an account first and verify your email.
You will be able to sign up to testify two hours before the hearing.
In your testimony, be sure to say, "Chair and members of the committee, my name is [insert full name and spell out your last name] and I live in [insert place in MT]. I'm here to SUPPORT / OPPOSE [HB/SB #] for [insert your reason]. Close by saying: [Thank you for your time and please vote YES/ NO on this bill.]
Not sure who you're legislators are? To find out who your legislators are, please visit https://www.legmt.gov/districts/
Telling our stories to those who hold power can be scary! You don't have to do it alone. If you need support in contacting your legislator, please drop in to our weekly office hours every Tuesday from 5 to 6pm. You can join at this Zoom link!
Priority Bills
Key: ✅ Support ❌. Oppose 🔵. Tracking
LGBTQ+ Rights
❌ House Bill 121, carried by Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe was heard in the House Judiciary Committee last Friday. This bill would effectively ban trans people from using restrooms or public facilities that align with their gender identity. HB 121 did pass the House Judiciary Committee this morning on a party line vote of 12-8.
House Bill 121 now moves to the House Floor and could be heard as soon as tomorrow!
Call your Representative and let them know that you OPPOSE HB 121
🔵 ❌ LC 0608, sponsored by Sen. John Fuller would criminalize parents or caregivers who support their children in accessing gender-affirming health care.
LC 0608 has not been assigned a bill number or committee hearing quite yet, but is a bill we are closely tracking -- we will send updates as they become available.
Pro-Democracy
❌ Senate Bill 13, carried by Sen. Daniel Emrich removes original jurisdiction from the MT Supreme Court to do ballot initiative review, if proponents of the initiative believe the attorney general was incorrect in determining legal deficiency, and instead gives that to District courts. Parties would then need to appeal to the MT Supreme Court.
This bill is part of the pattern of undermining the authority of the MT Supreme Court and ultimately adds even more time to the ballot initiative process, a process which is already packed into a short period of time, and further limits citizens access to running ballot initiatives.
❌ Senate Bill 43, carried by Sen. Daniel Emrich prohibits an injunction from limiting enforcement of a statute (or law) against a nonparty to a legal case and limits the scope of injunctions that restrain the enforcement of a statute (or law).
When the legislature passes a bill which is challenged in court as unconstitutional, an injunction is placed which stops that law from going into effect but this bill could potentially mean that a law could be enforced for everyone EXCEPT for the party in a legal case while the case is ongoing.
Senate Bill 13 and Senate Bill 43 will both be heard TOMORROW, January 14th at 8 AM in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Call your Senator and the Senate Judiciary Committee and let them know that you OPPOSE SB 13 and SB 53.
Voting Rights
✅ Senate Bill 8, carried by Sen. Wendy McKamey would give folks the option to register to vote online. This is an exciting piece of legislation that would make the ballot box more within reach especially for low-income and marginalized Montanans'!
Senate Bill 8 will be heard in the Senate State Admin Committee Wednesday, January 15th at 3 PM.
Call your Senator and the Senate State Admin Committee and let them know that you SUPPORT SB 8.
Health Care
❌ Senate Bill 62, carried by Sen. Carl Glimm provides for the phaseout of Montana's Medicaid expansion program. Specifically, the bill prohibits the DPHHS from enrolling new individuals in the expanded Medicaid program after September 1, 2025, though people already enrolled as of August 31, 2025, can remain in the program if they maintain continuous coverage.
This bill would effectively cut off access to folks who do qualify for Medicaid Expansion after August of this year. Thus, anyone who will become eligible after August will be denied the access to healthcare coverage they deserve.
SB 62 is likely to be heard either at the end of this week or early next in the Senate Public Health, Welfare, and Safety Committee.
✅ Senate Bill 72, carried by Sen. Mike Yakawich establishes a new presumptive eligibility process for Medicaid home and community-based services, (HCBS) for elderly individuals and people with physical disabilities in Montana. Under this process, applicants can receive temporary, expedited access to services like personal care, meal delivery, emergency response systems, medical equipment, and adaptive technologies while awaiting full Medicaid approval.
Folks who need in-home care services can't wait on an arduous application process to get the services they need. This bill would help alleviate this hardship.
SB 72 will be heard this Wednesday, January 15th at 3 PM in the Senate Public Health, Welfare, and Safety Committee.
Call your Senator and the Public Health, Welfare, and Safety Committee and let them know that you OPPOSE SB 62 and SUPPORT SB 72.
