Dara Deines - Forward Montana

What the Helena Issue 15: April 14th-18th

Posted on April 19, 2025April 19, 2025 by Dara Deines

Toplines: The Housing Priorities are Cringe; End of Session Action; It’s Time to Let it Go

Events, Gatherings and Rallies

Community Events

Rally to Oppose HB 121 Monday, April 21st, from noon to 1pm at the Missoula County Courthouse. Join Forward Montana, along Free and Fair coalition to rally our support for ACLU MT and plaintiffs in their first day in court to challenge unconstitutional law, HB 121. Bring a sign and get ready to cheer for trans rights!

School Board Forums

Gallatin County School Board Forum! April 22, 5:30 – 7:00 PM Bunkhouse Brewing in Bozeman- join us in chatting with our school board candidate. We will be getting to know our candidates ahead of the upcoming School Board Election on May 6th! We will provide everyone’s first drink!

Flathead School Board Candidate Forum! April 24, 2025 5 – 7 PM at
Bias Brewing (new location!), 412 Main St, Kalispell- Want to be a part of an exciting, impactful event in our community? Join us at the Flathead School Board Candidate Forum, this is a great opportunity to get involved in local elections and make sure the voices of our young people are heard. Come grab a cold one, some snacks, and all the tea!

It was another tiring week for those in the Capitol building – with nerves starting to fray and emotions running high. While we enjoy time in the sunshine and longer daylight hours, legislators are often in the building from sunrise to sunset trying to finish up work before the session ends.

The Housing Priorities are Cringe

As legislators were just beginning their policy debates four months ago, one issue stood out amongst the rest: housing affordability. While this conversation typically focuses on homeowners and property tax relief, there were at least 20 proposals that would have provided support to renters and low-income individuals – from property tax credits for renters to bolstering tenants rights in the landlord-tenant act. It also included two bills that would have dedicated money to maintaining and expanding our emergency housing locations. And legislators voted down most of them.

Instead, legislators coalesced around three policies that target and will financially burden people who already cannot afford a place to live. In response to last year’s US Supreme Court decision on how cities are allowed to respond to people without stable housing. Two bills from Rep. Greg Overstreet (R-Stevensville), enacts the right of local governments to ban people from camping or storing their stuff in public spaces, like a city park, as well as the right for cities to charge someone a $500 fine per day if they are considered in violation of this ban.

The second law cannot exist without the first – so be mad at the 79 Representatives and 43 Senators who made criminalizing homelessness legal in Montana. Rounding this out is HB 940 from Rep. Anthony Nicastro (R- Billings), which establishes a ban on overnight camping on any state highway, shoulder, or median – punished with a fine and loss of property.

As legislators leave for their 3-day holiday weekend, we still have uncertainty on how they will proceed with providing property tax relief. The two bills we were watching, HB 155 and HB 231, were heavily amended in Senate Tax this week – and then voted down, with HB 231 failing to pass the Senate floor in a tie vote. We are now only mildly hopeful to see SB 542 gutted and amended to include a property tax relief. It still needs to pass the House Floor and return to the Senate before it can go to the governor’s desk.

Check out this new report from the Montana Budget and Policy Center about the impact of housing costs for low-income and rural renters across the state.

End of Session Action

While we’ve made it past the bustle of bill drafts requests and packed committee hearings, don’t stop watching till the end. We are keeping our eyes on two end-of-session players: study bills and conference committees.

Let’s start with conference committees. As we shared last week, if a house bill is amended in the Senate it has to be returned to the House, so representatives can vote on the final version of the bill (same thing for senate bills). But what happens if the original chamber rejects the new version of the bill? Legislators form what is known as a ‘conference committee’, a six-member committee with Senators and Representatives from both parties, and usually includes the bill sponsor. The committee meets to discuss the bill amendments – and potentially change them again – until they come to an agreement for the final form of the bill. There is also the chance for a wildcard ‘free conference committee’, in which the six members can change any part of the bill (not just the contested amendments).

So far, we’ve only had one bill we are watching move into a conference committee: anti-trans bill HB 682. The conference committee hearing will likely be early next week. Public comment is allowed, so dust off your testimony – we aren’t done yet.

Now onto study bills. These are bills that direct the work of legislators in the months between legislative sessions, the interim. During this time, legislators meet monthly or quarterly to discuss important issues, and potentially draft policies to propose in the next session. We watched several study bill hearings this week, feeling most hopeful about HJ 41 to study the landlord tenant act and mobile home lot rental act. Many legislators stated in their votes against tenants and mobile home owners rights that we needed to study the issue.

But the hope was short-lived, as the House Judiciary committee failed to pass the bill on a tie vote. Check out our bill tracker for a full list of study bills we are tracking.

It’s Time to Let it Go

Remember we successfully fought back against attempts to allow for partisan election of judges 5 TIMES? Well, Sen. Tom McGillvray decided that maybe he’d take one more shot.

He has proposed an amendment to HB 913 (a bill associated with the state budget) to allow for the partisan election of Montana Supreme Court justices. HB 913 is scheduled for a full Senate floor debate next week. Flood senators’ emails and call 406-444-4800 the Capitol Switchboard starting Tuesday at 7:30am to remind them: We. Do. Not. Want. This.

Hero of the Week

This week’s hero is Sen. Cora Neumann (D-Bozeman) for speaking out against HB 316 on the Senate floor. This session, we’ve seen some conservative legislators try to undermine the recent victory to enshrine the right to abortion healthcare in the Montana Constitution. And while their attempts to say life begins at conception are not new to this session, we are pressed at their audacious efforts to undermine the will of the voters.

And this week’s debate on HB 316 is not the only time that Sen. Neumann has stood to demand access to reproductive health care options across the state. From her bill to expand access to doula care, to her valiant effort to amend privacy protections to a bill prohibiting regulation of pregnancy centers, Sen. Neumann is this week’s hero for being a loud and persistent reproductive rights advocate.

Villain of the Week

This week’s villain is Rep. Greg Overstreet (R-Stevensville) for his words and actions during the House Judiciary’s debate of HR 4 on Thursday. This bill, sponsored by previous villain Rep. Tom Millett, is villainous itself. The house resolution calls out two Bozeman municipal judges by name, accuses them of abuse of power and criminal activity, and demands their censure. During the committee debate, legislators signaled to the chair for permission to speak.

Rep. Overstreet took his opportunity as the third speaker to pontificate in legalese for minutes, reasserting these disparaging claims against the judges. He then ended the debate by ‘calling the question’ – a motion that no one is allowed to overrule, except maybe the chair. This left more than half the committee unable to state their thoughts, or objections, on the record. It wasn’t enough to try and silence two elected judges, Rep. Overstreet made it clear that he is fine with silencing his peers as it suits him. And for this, he is our villain of the week.

What the Helena Issue 14 April 7th-11th

Posted on April 12, 2025April 13, 2025 by Dara Deines

Toplines: Another round of transmittal chaos; Let’s take this by issue area

Events, Gatherings and Rallies

CAPITOL EVENTS

April 18th Rally to Defend the MT Supreme Court is CANCELLED! Due to the wins from the past two weeks to protect our impartial judiciary, we are cancelling next week’s rally. Take a moment in the next week to call and thank Representatives and Senators for their votes!

SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE FORUMS

Billings School District #2 Candidate Forum/Meet and Greet! April 16, from 6 – 8 PM at the Art House Cinema and Pub- It’s that time of year again and there are 2 competitive school board trustee seats up for election in School District #2 with the election coming up on May 6th. Please join Forward Montana and League of Women Voters for a candidate forum/meet and greet.

Gallatin County School Board Meet and Greet! April 22, 5:30 – 7:00 PM Bunkhouse Brewing in Bozeman- join us in chatting with our school board candidates in Bozeman and Belgrade! We will be getting to know our candidates ahead of the upcoming School Board Election on May 6th! We will provide everyone’s first drink!

STUDENT GATHERINGS

Join the MSU FMT Club Meeting for community, crafts and civic engagement! Monday, April 7th from 6-7pm Wilson Hall and every other Monday!

Join the Forward Montana UM Meeting on April 18, from 2:30 – 3:30PM at The Branch Center. Group meetings are a place to decompress, talk out strategies, and for organizers and activists of all different realms to come together to a political home, and be in solidarity and community.

Another Round of Transmittal Chaos

After this week, the team definitely has brain rot from endless floor agendas and mindless page refreshes for bill status updates. The cause: we’ve reached another transmittal deadline for general bills (see 3/1 & 3/7 for previous transmittal discussions).

This time, general bills that were amended in their second chamber need to be returned to their chamber of origin by Saturday, April 10th. For example (because that sentence is wonk): HB 311 passed the House, but was amended in the Senate. This made HB 311 a different version of the bill the House voted on. So, it has to go back to the House, so representatives may discuss these amendments. On April 8, HB 311 was returned to the House, so it meets this transmittal deadline.

Committees again were crammed with hearings and quick votes, and the second half of the week legislators were on the floor for full days of debates – broken up by meals or the need for an Appropriations hearing on a general bill that aims to spend or make state money.

This general bill transmittal was about as rough as the first one, as the late-session vibes have brought loose lips and even worse tempers to both chambers. Hold tight, as we ride the highs and lows of where our priority bills are at – and be prepared for some shocking language.

Let’s Take This by Issue Area

First, LGBTQ rights. This session has seen at least 25 bills that were directed at erasing or harming transgender individuals in our community. And similar to the last general bill pre-transmittal week, we saw some impressive wins this week to push back against the hate of our state.

On Tuesday, representatives debated Sen. Fuller’s SB 164, which would label gender affirming care for youth as ‘child endangerment’ and criminalize doctors and parents for supporting trans youth who provided that care. We are shocked a bill that would make doctors and parents felons for supporting youth made it this far in the legislative process. Representatives from both parties stood to speak in opposition (including trans nonbinary legislator, Rep. SJ Howell). And it failed to pass, 40-58!!

Then on Wednesday, senators gutted a bill that would criminalize trans people for using a public bathroom or changing room. So while HB 446 passed the senate 27-23, it no longer targets transgender individuals just trying to get dressed at their gym.

And finally, SB 218, which would have created an extreme statute of limitations for medical malpractice for gender affirming care, was amended despite objections from conservatives and deplorable opening remarks from Rep. Overstreet – humorously countered by trans legislator, Rep. Zephyr. Is this bill, as amended, still discriminatory? Absolutely. It passed the house on a party-line vote and now joins HB 682 as two policies moving towards the governor’s desk that attempt to curtail available healthcare across the state.

We wish it was all ‘W’s, with so much hateful policy moving through the session, legislators have many options to vote ‘yes’ for discrimination. On Thursday, with the bill sponsor seated at the back of the Senate chambers (instead of seeing to his work on the House floor), senators debated anti-trans HB 400, the so-called ‘Free to Speak Act’.

Opponents uplifted the words of teachers and pushed for the need of kindness and tolerance in the classroom – and only to receive ridicule from proponents. Overall, the debate lasted almost an hour (appalling, considering how much work the Senate has). In the end, the bill passed 28-22.

Then, on Friday, the House debated SB 437, Sen. Glimm’s ‘define sex’ bill. Legislators used antiquated analogies to make their point that a ‘man is a man, a woman is a woman’. And while we applaud both of Montana’s transgender legislators for their courageous voices speaking in opposition, we are tired of watching Rep. Howell and Rep. Zephyr stand over and over again to justify their existence to their colleagues. This bill is in clear defiance of a recent court case that threw out the last attempt to legally erase transgender people. Yet, it passed the House and is now headed to the Governor’s desk.

Victory for our judicial system. On Monday, the House finally ended the debate on partisan election of judges. HB 838, which would have allowed Montana Supreme Court justice candidates to claim a political party, failed to pass the house, 46-54. We were cheering as one opponent made it clear: the answer is less partisanship in the judiciary, not more. This session debate may be cooked, but it isn’t going anywhere, as many legislators are unhappy with judicial elections – and are pushing a merit-based appointment system, removing voter say completely.

Undermined voting rights. Legislators are looking to curb voter participation across the state by creating new barriers to voter registration. It’s giving elitism – and complete disregard for how this will impact people’s access to the ballot.

During the SB 490 debate on the House floor, legislators said that ending same-day voter registration at noon on Election Day is what is best for election workers and will get rid of long wait lines that plague larger counties – although one proponent belittled Election Day registrants as just ‘procrastinators’.

Yet, as one opponent to SB 490 pointed out, the best way to support counties is probably to invest in more election workers and Election Day resources. Unfortunately, SB 490 passed the house, 58-42.

The same morning, senators were debating HB 413, which would re-define state residency to remove the ability for ‘temporary’ residents to vote, unless they intend to permanently stay in the Montana county they’ve moved to. As explained by one opponent – this suppresses student votes. And not just for folks arriving from out of state to attend college, possibly even for individuals who move between counties in Montana for educational opportunities.

After listening to the carrier of the bill explain that we want to ‘keep Montana, Montana’ – and keep voting access from unengaged voters or uneducated people who’ve moved to our communities – it passed the Senate on a party-line vote, 31-19.

Next, reproductive rights. Despite a clear victory at the ballot last November, legislators still spent the session attempting to undermine reproductive rights and access to reproductive care. On Thursday, senators debated HB 388, a bill that restricts government regulations on pregnancy centers. Proponents claim that unregulated pregnancy centers (UPCs) have a constitutional right to function as they see fit – and accuse abortion advocates of working alongside the government to target the free speech and religious freedom of pregnancy centers.

All while denying the evidence presented by opponents that UPCs violate patient privacy and share inaccurate medical information. In a rollercoaster 24 hours, the bill was amended to require UPCs to comply with healthcare and consumer protections – but then those amendments were stripped, with even so-called privacy rights advocates voting against ensuring privacy protections for patient data. HB 388 is a dangerous policy that seeks to shield centers from regulation – all while allowing them to dissuade and intimidate individuals from accessing abortion-related care.

In an unexpected move, the Senate Judiciary committee reversed its decision on HB 475, passing it through this week after tabling it March 21. HB 475 would prohibit the use of shackles on incarcerated women during childbirth – a small win for reproductive justice in Montana. It hasn’t reached the finish line yet, and will likely be heard next week on the Senate floor. Call the Capitol Switchboard (406-444-4800) to urge Senators to vote YES on HB 475.

Attacks on the Montana Environmental Protection Act. The 3rd bill that attempts to undermine environmental protections across the state moved out of its second chamber this week – and is headed to the governor’s desk. Proponents claim that this bill is about regulatory certainty after the recent Held v Montana decision – but as shared by opponents, this would weaken MEPA, which was ruled an unconstitutional action in the Held case.

Legislators debated whether or not we should consider long-term impacts of greenhouse gas emissions – or even the impact a project can have outside the community it takes place in! And as one opponent pointed out, this undermines the ability to understand the long-term effects of resource extraction. Conservative leadership stated their dislike of climate action, with one conservative throwing shade at youth. SB 221 passed on a party-line vote. We think the legislators who voted to undermine our constitutional right to clean air and water should go touch grass.

Hero of the Week

This week’s hero is Representative Kelly Kortum (D-Bozeman) for his persistence and bipartisan relationship building to get HB 311 through both the House and the Senate. As Rep. Kortum mentioned in the Senate committee hearing, this policy has been brought forward in the 2023 and 2021 sessions, but failed to make it out of its initial committee hearings – and in 2019 didn’t even make it past the drafting process.

Fast forward to this session, where any and all solutions are needed to ease the impact of the housing crisis on renters. Rep. Kortum worked with members from both parties and stakeholders to amend the bill to address concerns from landlords, while still keeping the main purpose intact: returning fees to rental applicants.

For giving us hope that tenants rights policy is a reality in Montana, Rep. Kelly Kortum is our hero of the week.

HB 311 needs one more vote in the House, to approve the amendments made in the Senate. Please show your support for this week’s hero by calling the Capitol Switchboard and demanding that representatives give the final green light needed to move HB 311 to the Governor’s desk.

Villain of the Week

This week’s villain is Senator Theresa Manzella (R-Hamilton) for her closing remarks during the senate debate on anti-trans policy HB 400. As previously mentioned, this bill was debated on Thursday, and while most proponents claimed this was about ‘free speech’, Sen. Manzella, who carried the bill on the floor, shared some wild claims on her right to disrespect transgender individuals.

This comes after a heated discussion on whether teachers should have the authority to protect youth from bullying while at school or whether kindness and compassion should be considered essential tenets of the classroom. Sen. Manzella wrapped up the debate by defiantly claiming it is her god-given right to deny transgender individuals basic respect – and she will never be forced to do so.

For her adamant advocacy to allow for verbal violence against transgender youth, Sen. Manzella is this week’s villain.

What the Helena Issue #13- March 31st-April 4th

Posted on April 4, 2025April 5, 2025 by Dara Deines

Toplines: Trans People Will Live Forever; State Budget Making Moves; Watchlist + Wins

EVENTS, GATHERINGS AND RALLIES

CAPITOL EVENTS
Friday, April 18, from noon to 1pm Defend the Montana Supreme Court Rally. Some legislators are trying to play politics with the State Supreme Court – but we won’t let that happen! Join Catalyst Montana, Forward Montana, Northern Plains Resource Fund, and Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund at the Montana State Capitol to defend the Montana Supreme Court! RSVP HERE

Friday, April 18, 2025 from 10am to noon. Join Catalyst MT for their lobby day, where attendees can gain hands-on experience in sharing their lived experience and vision with legislators in the Montana State Capitol building in Helena! For more information and to RSVP, go here!

COMMUNITY EVENTS
Join the MSU FMT Club Meeting for community, crafts and civic engagement! Monday, April 7th from 6-7pm Wilson Hall and every other Monday!

Tuesday, April 8th from 5-6:30pm at Studio Wheelhouse- We are partnering with Studio Wheelhouse to bring you a monthly Craft and Act event! Every second Tuesday of the month from 5-6:30pm, come to Wheelhouse to craft, build community, learn about current events, gain resources, and participate in calls to action. Sign Up Now

Thursday, April 10th, from 5-7pm at the Yarn Bar join us for our Queer Skillshare: Drop Spindle! Join us for an introduction into how to spin your own yarn. Drop spindles and wool provided. This event will be limited to 10 people, so please RSVP soon! Sign Up Now

Join us Friday, April 11th from 2:30-3:30pm at the UM Branch Center for our UM Student Group meeting to decompress, talk out strategies, and for organizers and activists of all different realms to come together to a political home, and be in solidarity and community. Sign up here for the next meeting!

Trans People Will Live Forever

Monday, March 31st marked Transgender Day Of Visibility. Around 11am at the Capitol Flag Plaza, a dozen organizers began assembling for one (of many) rallies across the state to celebrate our transgender, non-binary, Two Spirit, and gender-diverse family, friends, and neighbors. Community members from across the state gathered despite gray skies and spring snowfall to listen to trans voices, including Montana’s two trans legislators Rep. SJ Howell and Rep. Zooey Zephyr, and to scream our undying devotion to protecting trans rights.

In the backdrop of this year’s TDOV celebrations is this session’s obsession with transgender people and with the Governor’s ink barely dried from signing into law HB 121 and HB 300. The Governor himself made it clear: this is about targeting and erasing transgender people from our communities.

But the impact of both these policies will harm everyone – not just trans individuals. Legal Voice and ACLU of Montana acted immediately – and District Judge Shane Vannatta has placed a temporary restraining order on HB 121, delaying implementation until at least April 21, when advocates and the state appear in court to begin their debates.

Anti-trans legislation is still moving in the session. Thursday, the House Judiciary committee voted to pass SB 218, another bill that would undermine transgender individuals’ access to health care in Montana, by increasing the statute of limitation of medical malpractice from 2 to 25 years for any type of gender-affirming care.

This makes two bills we anticipate hearing next week on the floor. The other? SB 164, which rewrites laws against child endangerment to criminalize doctors and parents who support trans youth under 16 in accessing gender-affirming care. The House has already rejected previous egregiously harmful legislation. Call and leave messages for Republicans who already voted against anti-trans policies. Capitol switchboard (406-444-4800) is open from 7am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.

State Budget Making Moves

Huge news out of the House this week. Through a bipartisan vote of 60-39, Representatives passed the bill containing the state budget, HB 2. Amongst the piles of policy that legislators sift through, HB 2 is the most important. Why? Legislators are constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget – and that is all they are obligated to do each session. Of course, we need them to pass policies to improve our communities – and sometimes they do that too.

It’s a tedious process to assemble the state budget. Since January, six budget subcommittees have met daily, getting lost in the spreadsheets and arguing over line items. Each subcommittee is made up of a handful of Senators and Representatives from both parties and specializes in one section of the state budget. After a month of subcommittee hearings and debates, the first drafts of each section are sent to the House Appropriations committee – where they are debated and amended, ultimately piecing together the first draft of HB 2.

Finally, on Wednesday, Representatives spent 8 hours on the House floor going through each section of the budget, in their last attempts to change how much money certain projects across the state receive. By the time of the final vote, of the 43 proposed amendments, only 6 passed. We are excited to see representatives approve a budget that allocates over $20 million in state and federal dollars to after-school programs, food banks, and summer meals for k-12 youth.

The next stop for HB 2 is Senate Finance and Claims, where they will again debate each section and attempt another round of edits. As of Saturday, April 5, it is day 67 of the session.

With angsty vibes at the Capitol, some are dreaming of the end. But until the budget is delivered to the Governor’s desk, no one is leaving.

Want more information on the budget process, check out Montana Budget and Policy Center.

Watchlist & Wins

Housing
Historic tenants rights bill, HB 311,which would require landlords to reimburse rental application fees to applicants who didn’t receive the rental, was amended twice this week and passed unanimously out of committee. Let’s keep up the momentum! Call (406-444-4800) and message Senators by next Tuesday and tell them to vote YES on HB 311.

Reproductive Rights
This session’s main anti-abortion bill, HB 316, which wants to amend the constitution to give legal rights to zygotes, will be heard next Tuesday, April 8th, in the Senate Judiciary committee. This bill is not only attempting to reverse last autumn’s CI-128 victory, it would remove access to basic reproductive rights and health care. Sign up to testify or send a message to Senators to vote NO on HB 316.

Climate
This legislative session is one step closer to passing two anti-climate bills. We’ve talked about these before – HB 285 and HB 291. Both of these bills would open the state to industry and development practices that could harm our clean air and water. The Senate debated and ultimately passed these bills, on a mostly party-line vote.

Next, these two bills will head to the Governor’s desk – but it isn’t too late to have a say! You can call the governor’s office at 406-444-3111 and urge Governor Gianforte to veto HB 285 and HB 291.

And some good news…
In a definitive win on the House floor Tuesday, April 1, representatives voted 41-59 to reject SB 42, which would have undermined the foundation of our fair and impartial judiciary, by mandating the partisan election of Montana judges and justices. Call and message legislators who voted against this bill and thank them – as well as remind them that we still need their ‘no’ votes on HB 838, which would allow for the partisan election of Montana Supreme Court justices.

On Friday evening, senators debated SB 543 one of the two remaining bills allowing for partisan election of Montana Supreme court justices. The Montana Supreme Court is the safeguard of our state constitution. We were screaming to see SB 543 go down in a 22-27 vote! In today’s political climate, we must keep our state’s highest court fair and impartial.

Hero and Villain of the Week

This session has seen a number of proposals to curtail community power in our elections – by undermining voter rights and limiting access to the ballot.

On Thursday night, the Senate debated a policy which would create new barriers to citizen-led ballot initiatives: HB 201. This bill would require signature gatherers to disclose not only their status as a paid signature gatherer, but the state where they ‘legally reside’. Conservatives in support of the bill claim that last summer’s signature gatherers were brought in from out of state to mess with Montana values.

This week’s hero, Minority Leader Pat Flowers (D-Belgrade), called out a fellow senator’s claim that communities are demanding reform to our citizen-led ballot process. In his floor speech Sen. Flowers condemned these false narratives and told his fellow senators that he hoped communities were watching as elected officials vote to undermine our change-making power. Don’t worry, we are watching. For popping off to conservatives, we make Minority Leader Flowers our hero of the week.

This week’s villain is Rep. Tom Millett (R-Marion) who presented SB 42 on the House floor. During his opening speech, we sighed while he listed off political headlines disparaging Montana’s judicial system, specifically calling out recent decisions from our state supreme court that protected our communities from partisan overreach.

Rep. Millett told fellow legislators that Montana is a ‘laughing stock’ of the nation because our courts have maintained their independence from partisan reforms. He continued to uplift the disingenuous assertion that partisan election of judges is really about voter information. And then left us confused with his final remarks, stating that no matter an individual’s party affiliation, he trusts our judges to be impartial in their rulings, calling on legislators to ‘trust judges’ by voting for SB 42. Legislators demonstrated their trust of judges by voting down SB 42 – making us wonder who the laughing stock really is in this session-long fight to protect our judiciary.

What the Helena Issue#12 March 24th-28th

Posted on March 28, 2025March 28, 2025 by Dara Deines

Toplines: Montana Objects to Politicized Courts; Ethical Dilemma in the Senate; Watchlist + Calls to Action.

Events, Gatherings and Rallies

Trans Day of Visibility: Monday, March 31 from 12-1pm at Montana Capitol Flag Plaza in Helena. Join us at the State Capitol to Rally for Trans Rights to celebrate trans joy, resilience, and community! This year’s focus: trans people fighting back against attacks from the legislature. This legislative session, we’ve seen 20+ bills that have attempted to block access to gender-affirming care, remove essential social services, and strip away our rights. RSVP here

Join Catalyst Montana, Butte Pride Foundation and BT Livermore on Monday, March 31st from 6-9pm at 206 W. Park St. in Butte for their Sewn and Seen Trans Quilt Project event. Pizza, drinks and supplies provided. Attendees should plan to create an art piece with personal meaning on an 8×8 square of fabric (provided, or bring your own piece!)

On March 31st join TransVisble and The Western Montana LGBTQ Center from 5pm at The Center for pizza and community. Starting at 7pm at the Missoula County Courthouse for speakers and rally!

April 1st join FMT and Missoula Resists Goodworks Ventures 6-8pm for a discussion on what is the Montana Legislature, how it works, why you should care, and how to make your voice heard. It will include opportunities for small group discussions, practice writing and giving public comment, and answers to (hopefully) all your questions about the 2025 legislative session! There will be food and drink, and a virtual option!

Join us Friday, April 4th from 2:30-3:30pm at the UM Branch Center for our UM Student Group meeting to decompress, talk out strategies, and for organizers and activists of all different realms to come together to a political home, and be in solidarity and community. Sign up here for the next meeting!

Join the MSU FMT Club Meeting for community, crafts and civic engagement! Monday, April 7th from 6-7pm Wilson Hall and every other Monday!

Montana Objects to Politicized Courts

The last few legislative sessions have seen numerous attempts to pass unconstitutional policies. Even when provided legal analysis, legislators and proponents of these policies insisted that they move forward. Now, citing court decisions that blocked the implementation of these unconstitutional bills, a group of legislators is trying a different strategy: destroy our impartial judicial system.

Of the over 30 bills this session trying to mess with this branch of government, legislators put forward 4 options to change how judges are chosen – and undermine the checks and balances of our democracy. Three of these dangerous bills are still moving and were debated in the House Judiciary committee this week.

Montana is one of dozens of states that elect our judges through nonpartisan races. We have laws that prohibit political donations and party affiliation for judicial candidates. This isn’t random – the decision to have nonpartisan elections was fiercely debated through public forums during the Montana Constitution Convention in 1972, when political corruption of the Copper Kings was not yet forgotten.

Two bills, SB 42 and HB 838, would change this – creating partisan election of judges and allowing for the influx of political money to determine who ends up in charge of our courtrooms.

This will impact more than decisions on constitutional challenge cases – SB 42 would politicize judges at every level: municipal judges who oversee your unpaid parking tickets, family law judges who decide child custody cases, district court judges who oversee employee rights cases. All of these judges are in jeopardy of becoming beholden to a political platform on how to rule in the courtroom.

While HB 838 would only affect Montana supreme court judicial elections, it is no less egregious. Our state’s highest court doesn’t only hear the appeals from lower courts – these seven justices are the final decision-makers on cases that move out of the lower courts such as voting rights, rights to privacy, and water rights.

The third bill, HB 506, would take away voters’ ability to elect Montana supreme court justices – and give the power to a selection committee made up of the Governor plus majority and minority party leadership – a system referred to as ‘merit-appointment’. We only imagine the raucous political debate and opaque decisions of such a committee.

Our judges at every level must focus on rule of law and impartial, facts-based decision-making. These three bills would create courtrooms where judges are instead thinking of how to keep their political party and big donors happy. While HB 506 was tabled in committee, we saw SB 42 and HB 838 will have House floor debates next week.

Ethical Dilemma in the Senate

Last week, the Senate Ethics committee released its final decision regarding potential ethics violations by Sen. Jason Ellsworth (R-Hamilton). The news triggered another lengthy Senate debate on Monday, with proposed next steps including expulsion and censorship – both failing as Democrats and a handful of Republicans were unwilling to accept either punishment.

If you aren’t lost in the timewarp of the Capitol hallways, then these debates and decisions can feel both bewildering and frustrating. We expect our legislators to focus on policy debates and assembling the state budget. But since week one, the Senate has used hours of its time in name-calling, accusations, and political tussles. Without a doubt, this has significantly impacted the outcome of certain policies. And created an ethical dilemma: what is the correct response to ethics violations of those in leadership.

Both Sen. Ellsworth, former Senate President, and current President Matt Regier (R-Kalispell) faced questions this session about how they each used state money in their official roles. Don’t be confused by the ‘R’s next to their names – they lead two separate factions of the Republican party in the Senate.

Sen. Ellsworth is one of nine Republicans that have collectively split from the party multiple times this session to vote with Democrats against bad policy proposals – leading to some others in their party nicknaming them the ‘Nasty 9’.

While Senate President Regier has been cleared of allegations, this latest Senate floor debate demonstrates how far some legislators are willing to go to protect relationships. Both parties seem split on how best to proceed, with both Democrats and Republicans voting for and against the final motion to expel.

WATCHLIST

There are two bills up next week that will impact Montana’s housing affordability. First, HB 843 which would create the Montana emergency solutions grant for rapid re-housing. This bill would target state funds towards rapid re-housing options for individuals across our state who face an unexpected loss of housing or struggle to maintain stable housing.

We know that the current housing crisis and economic hardship has caused significant increases of homelessness in our communities. This bill would help address this by providing more comprehensive and flexible housing support – like rental assistance. Please join us in testifying on Monday, March 31st at 3pm or messaging House Human Services before Wednesday, April 2 in support of HB 843.

If the housing crisis wasn’t hard enough, SB 336 could make it worse by removing local control in regulating short-term rentals. This policy prioritizes profit over ensuring there is enough housing for everyone in our community. It has its House hearing on Thursday, April 3rd at 3pm. Please send messages of opposition to the House Local Government by the end of next week – or sign up to testify!

And a follow-up to HB 311: Thursday brought a contentious hearing in the Senate Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs committee. By 8:30 a.m., the room was overflowing—with landlords, renters, realtors, homeowners, and even a former mayor of Bozeman.All there to speak on whether we should require landlords to refund rental application fees to unsuccessful applicants.

Opinions on Montana’s housing crisis varied wildly. Some opponents argued the bill went too far, insisting that the issue needs to be studied in the interim, while others pleaded that fees are burdensome and a bad business practice. We even heard one senator question whether this problem exists at all – ignoring the renters who showed up to share personal testimony. It isn’t too late to send a message to the Senate Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs committee and tell them to vote YES on HB 311.

Also up next week is HB 400, Enact the “Free to Speak Act”, from Rep. Braxton Mitchell. As a reminder, this bill would prohibit schools and public agencies from implementing policies that protect LGBTQ individuals from harassment or discrimination. Send a message to Senators by the end of next week and tell them to vote NO on HB 400. Want to testify? HB 400 will be heard in Senate Judiciary on Wednesday April 2nd at 8am.

And finally, HB 388 which would prohibit government oversight of anti-abortion ‘pregnancy centers’ in Montana. A new report from Montanans for Choice shows that Unregulated Pregnancy Centers (UPCs) currently outnumber licensed abortion providers in the state 3:1 and use deceptive marketing practices. These centers also operate in rural communities where access to comprehensive health care is often scarce. HB 388 has a hearing in the Senate Judiciary on Wednesday, April 2 at 8am. Please send a message to Senators by the end of next week, demanding they vote NO on HB 388.

Villain and Hero of the Week

This week’s hero and villain come from the House floor debate on abortion rights. You read that correctly: this week, Representatives debated whether our communities have the right to abortion and other reproductive health care. Despite a clear victory at the polls last fall, the sponsor and last week’s villain, Rep. Lee Deming questioned whether some voters had ‘buyer remorse’ in voting in favor of CI-128 – and at one point compared the fight to end abortion with the fight for women’s suffrage.

This week’s villain, Rep. Greg Kmetz (R-Miles City) stood proudly to remind everyone of his campaign slogan – babies, bullets, and borders. He then compared abortion to a gladiator’s brutal murder in the colosseum and used his time to spread misinformation about late-term abortions, finally declaring his goal is to ensure that no abortion is allowed to happen again at any stage of pregnancy. Rep. Kmetz wasn’t the only Republican to stand in support of HB 316, his violent imagery and views on bodily autonomy stood out amongst the crowd.

This week’s hero, Rep. Sherry Essmann (R-Billings), took a stand against her party’s insistence in undermining the CI-128 decision. She acknowledged that while she is personally against abortion, she respects the voters’ say on this issue. She questioned the sponsor for implying that voters weren’t smart enough to know what they were voting on with CI-128. She then spoke in defense of the Montana Constitution – and questioned why her colleagues want to mess around with this very important state document.

What the helena Issue 11: March 17th-21st

Posted on March 21, 2025April 4, 2025 by Dara Deines

Toplines: It’s Time for an Affordable Housing Market; Clean Air and Water on the Chopping Block; Plus, Watchlist & Wins

While one week certainly didn’t feel like enough time to recoup from the first half of the session we are back from transmittal break! Legislators are wasting no time, surprisingly, getting the next round of bills moving, here’s what we are watching and what we are looking out for next week.

Events, Gatherings and Rallies

Saturday, March 22nd from 4:30-7:30pm at Uptown Hearth in Columbia Falls. Join us for The Making Place’s Art Café Night! This is a perfect chance to engage with the community, support civic participation, and enjoy a creative, welcoming atmosphere. Come for the art, stay for the impact, and help us ensure everyone’s voice is heard before the school board election.

Monday, March 24th from 5:30-7:30pm at Shine Beer Sanctuary in Bozeman. Join us for the Bozeman Housing Happy Hour. If you are a renter, your food or drink is on us! This month, we are focused on stories — What is your housing story??

Join us at The Center on Monday, March 24th from 6-7:30pm for our MONTHLY Stitch and Bitch! Bring your current project (or start a new craft!) while you gather in an environment of support, create community, and build collective power through arts n’ crafts! A hodgepodge of embroidery, knit/crochet, and collage supplies will be available.

Monday, March 24 from 6-7pm Wilson Hall, Bozeman- Come join the MSU FMT Club Meeting for community, crafts and civic engagement! We meet in Wilson 2105 from 6-7pm every other Monday!

Join the Billings Forward Montana team at the Billings Public Library community room from 530-730 pm on Tuesday, March 25th for another fun stitch and bitch event! We’ll be talking about what’s going on in Billings, up in Helena at the legislative session and anything else YOU want to talk about with us and other community members. This will be a relaxed stitch and bitch style event so bring a craft to work on while we talk! Free food and drinks provided.

Saturday, March 29, 2025 6:30-8pm, Trans Day of Visibility – Pre Event in 732 S 1st St W, Missoula. We’ll have a Know Your Rights training, a discussion on the history of TDOV, and sign making supplies for Monday’s TDOV events. Free food and drinks provided. RSVP here.

Capitol Events
Monday, March 31 from 12-1pm at Montana Capitol Flag Plaza in Helena. Join us at the State Capitol to Rally for Trans Rights to celebrate trans joy, resilience, and community! This year’s focus: trans people fighting back against attacks from the legislature. This legislative session, we’ve seen 20+ bills that have attempted to block access to gender-affirming care, remove essential social services, and strip away our rights. RSVP here

It’s Time for an Affordable Housing Market

This week, we saw both HB 154 and SB 243 make notable progress through their hearings. HB 154, which was heard in the Senate Taxation committee, would create tax credit opportunities for low income homeowners and renters. It saw strong support with thoughtful testimony from housing advocates and community members.

Meanwhile, SB 243 heard in the House Local Government committee, would amend code to allow for taller buildings in higher population communities, saw some community members spouting incoherent arguments to block its progress.

Opponents stated that allowing for taller buildings would make it harder for folks to obtain housing in our communities. Let us be clear: these are classic “Not In My Backyard” (NIMBY) arguments. These assertions are blatantly false, meritless and quite honestly nonsensical.

Because of the current housing crisis we have three options; we build out and contribute to urban sprawl, build up (which is the goal of this bill) or we get priced out of our homes and communities (the current course). We see the choice as clear. Both bills will be voted on soon – help us keep momentum going by sending messages of support to their committees.

In an unexpected shift, HB 311 from Rep. Kelly Kortum to mandate rental application fee reimbursement had its scheduled hearing cancelled this week for the best reason: the bill was moved from a notoriously difficult committee to a committee that will more readily consider the merits of this policy.

This is huge. As previously stated, committees have a lot of power over which policies get full floor debates. HB 311 will now be heard soon in Senate Business and Labor. Start sending in your messages of support now! We’ll let you know when that hearing gets scheduled.

Clean Air and Water on the Chopping Block

Legislators wasted no time getting three bills scheduled that undermine our right to clean air and water. On Wednesday, March 18, the House Natural Resources committee heard SB 221, one of two bills still moving that would restrict the Montana Environmental Policy Act. The sponsor, Sen. Wylie Galt, claims this bill is a necessary response to Held v Montana.

Following his opening speech, proponents from the oil, gas, mining, and energy industries lined up alongside small business owners to declare the Held v Montana ruling undermines their constitutional rights to life, liberty, and prosperity and strangles the energy industry in Montana.

Appallingly, the state directors of the Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Natural Resources and Conservation also showed up in support of SB 221. But this bill would narrowly define what counts as ‘fossil fuel activity’ or ‘greenhouse gas emissions’, and erode the power of MEPA to understand which activities or projects could cause harm to our environment. This would prevent us from prioritizing clean air and water over private industry practices.

Next week, the Senate Natural Resources committee will hear the next two bills. HB 285, which would repeal language that says MEPA is supposed to prevent harm and remove the requirement that we should consider the long-term productivity and health of the land when debating the long-term impacts of development or energy projects.

Then HB 291, which would prohibit the state from regulating greenhouse gas and other air pollutants, unless the federal government does it first, completely ignoring the fact that the Montana constitution has stronger protections on clean air and water than the U.S. Constitution.

These bills have previously received bipartisan support – but we need to change that. Please send messages to both committees!

Watchlist & Wins

This week saw the legislature continue prioritizing unconstitutional and discriminatory policies, with bill hearings on three anti-trans bills: HB 446 on Thursday and SB 218 + SB 164 on Friday.

If you missed those hearings, no you didn’t because they were filled with the same hateful and blatantly transphobic language from bill sponsors and proponents. Skip messaging the committees on these bills. Instead, send comments to each Senator about HB 446 and each Representative about SB 218 & SB 164.

The next piece of anti-trans legislation, SB 437, will be heard in the House Judiciary committee on Wednesday Mar 26. SB 437 is the latest effort to define ‘sex’ in law – and legally erase transgender and intersex individuals across Montana’s legal code. Please send a message to the committee before the hearing and tell them to vote no on this unconstitutional bill.

That isn’t the only bill on Wednesday. In the same committee, we will hear SB 42, which would undermine the foundation of our fair and impartial judiciary, by mandating the partisan election of Montana judges and justices – which most Montanans are adamantly against. The House already voted down a similar bill HB 295. Send them a message, remind them of this vote, and ask them to vote down SB 42.

And a couple wins

During their Saturday, March 15 debate, Senators shocked us by voting down anti-judiciary HB 169. This bill is one of many this session to infuse partisanship into our judicial system. HB 169 specifically would have allowed judges to participate in political events and accept partisan endorsements. We were ecstatic to see it fail 22-27 on the Senate floor!

In all the hustle of pre-transmittal week, we missed sharing an historic moment for reproductive rights. On Thursday, March 6, the Senate floor debated SB 479, which spread false information that medication abortion is in our water and harming our environment. After Sen. Laura Smith and Sen. Cora Neumann shared powerful personal stories, the Senate floor for the first time in over two decades, voted down an anti-abortion policy, 25-25. Please take a moment to thank Senators who made this win possible!

Hero of the Week- Rep. Julie Darling (R-Helena)

On Tuesday, March 18, SB 224, a bill to designate Indigenous People’s Day as an official state holiday, had its hearing in the House State Administration Committee after an exciting and energized run through the Senate.

Post-transmittal, this bill continued to generate incredible momentum, drawing a long line of passionate proponents from a wide variety of backgrounds — so many, in fact, that the line stretched well beyond the committee room doors.

Proponents included an entire high school class from Arlee, who showed up in force to share what this bill means to them and their community. Unfortunately, not all moments in the hearing reflected respect. Committee member Rep. Lukas Schubert, a previous villain of the week for hateful anti-Indigenous comments, took the opportunity to badger a proponent with an irrelevant, bad-faith question.

Enter this week’s hero: Representative Julie Darling of Helena (HD 84). With grace and authority, Rep. Darling cut off the distraction, refocused the discussion, and maintained the dignity of the space. But she didn’t stop there. She called for executive action immediately following the hearing and made sure the Arlee high school students returned to the room to witness the power of their advocacy in real time.

The result? A nearly unanimous vote (save for one predictable ‘no’) to move SB 224 out of committee and onto the House floor.

Thank you, Rep. Darling, for your leadership for championing the voices of young people who will one day lead in those same halls.

Villain of the Week- Rep. Lee Deming (R-Laurel)

From the 27 bills out of the Senate Select Committee on Judicial Oversight and Reform to the push for partisan judicial elections, this legislative session is filled with debates on the power and authority of our judicial system – and increasingly, how the legislature or executive branch can circumvent that authority.

Any basic civics course teaches that the separation and balance of powers of each branch of government is essential to a thriving democracy. But, some legislators think having checks and balances on legislative decisions has amounted to ‘judicial supremacy’.

At least, that is what villain of the week, Rep. Lee Deming (R-Laurel) declared during his floor speech on HJ 14. Presenting a wild legal interpretation, Rep. Deming declared that the decision made in Marbury v Madison has been misapplied for the last 200+ years – and through this inappropriate application, the judicial branch has become more powerful than the other two branches.

Not up on your legal history? Marbury v Madison is the 1803 lawsuit in which the US Supreme Court for the first time ruled a federal law to be unconstitutional and established the precedent of judicial review over decisions made by the legislative and executive branches. Rep. Deming listed off a cherry-picked handful of controversial judicial rulings from the past two hundred years, and claimed that the judiciary should not have the ‘last word’ on whether a policy or law is unconstitutional.

This argument is misleading and dangerous – and perpetuates a narrative that could undermine the checks and balances currently protecting our constitutional rights. Thankfully, HJ 14 failed to pass the House.

For his attempt to undermine over 200 years of legal precedent that have helped protect us from government overreach, our villain of the week is Rep. Lee Deming.

What the Helena #10 Transmittal Edition

Posted on March 13, 2025April 4, 2025 by Dara Deines

Toplines: Don’t Skip The Recap; Your Questions, Answered; Watchlist

Events, Rallies and Gatherings

Tuesday, March 18th from 6-7:30pm at the Headwaters Confluence Center Join us in partnership with TransVisible Montana for our Queer Skillshare: Vision Boarding! Together, we will learn how to use vision boarding to help us clarify our goals as a community, envision success, stay motivated, and strengthen our focus through our art. What are your dreams as an LGBTQ+ Montanan? All supplies will be provided!

Friday, March 21st from 2:30-3:30pm at the UM Branch Center. Join us for our UM Student Group meeting to decompress, talk out strategies, and for organizers and activists of all different realms to come together to a political home, and be in solidarity and community.

On Wednesday, March 19th at 11am, the Montana Centers for Independent Living (CILs) and The Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) is holding a Rally Day at 11am in the Capitol Rotunda. This rally is a great opportunity for ANYONE to come show support for legislation that helps people living with disabilities in Montana.

On Thursday, March 27th, MontPIRG will be hosting a Lobby Day at the Montana State Capitol in Helena advocating for students, tenants and general consumer protection issues. Deadline is soon, so sign up ASAP!

DON’T SKIP THE RECAP

Welcome back to the 69th Montana Legislative Session. Friday, March 14th marks the first day back from the ‘transmittal’ break. We hope senators got some rest, because they are jumping right back in, with a Senate Ethics hearing scheduled for both Friday and Saturday – as well as 3 separate Senate Floor sessions.

Took a break from the session and realized you still aren’t sure what a bill even is or how it becomes a law? Makes sense to us. These processes move quickly and are confusing – even legislators have to pause a floor session to look at the rules for how to do their jobs. Let’s get our bearings before we dive back into the policy debate and political intrigue.

Friday, March 14th is day 49 (of 90) that Montana’s 150 legislators meet to find the solutions to the big issues facing our Montana communities and pass a balanced budget – or at least, that is what we expect them to do in Helena. Bills are the way legislators work to get this done. A bill gets a draft number (LC) and then a bill number. Each legislator is able to request an unlimited number of bill drafts – might be why this session we saw 4,440 bill draft requests.

Many of these bills don’t end up moving through the drafting process or acquire a bill number – of the 4,400 bill draft requests over 1,600 received bill numbers. After a bill receives a bill number, it gets its first hearing – and if the majority of the committee members approve of the bill, it heads to the floor.

Committee membership is a powerful strategic tool to filter which types of policies make it to full floor debates, where a bill can be heard by every Representative or Senator. For example, we saw a lot of discriminatory bills make their way out of the House Judiciary committee the past 48 days of session. House and Senate Majority leadership (aka Republicans) are in charge of assigning committee membership, and while the minority party puts forward their choices, the majority leadership ultimately has the final say.

Of the 1400 bills that received hearings, only 678 continue past the transmittal deadline. But that deadline is only the first, of 8, ‘transmittal’ deadlines by bill type, to manage the flow of bills in the law-making process. And while we won’t see another deluge of new bills, the second half of the session has all the same urgency. For any of these 678 bills to become a law, it still needs to make it through a second hearing and second floor debate – and if the language in the bill is changed in any way, things can get trickier to get that bill to the governor’s desk.

If a bill manages to land on the governor’s desk, it could still get struck down by a veto, or sent back to legislators with a partial veto (‘line-item’ veto). It isn’t until a bill receives the governor’s signature that it is officially law.

Phew. We know it’s a lot to keep track of. Check out our MT Legislative Session Resources page anytime you need a refresher.

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Does transmittal mean there aren’t any new bills that can be introduced?

No. Bills that spend or raise money and study bills can still be introduced. Both have transmittal deadlines in the next 30 days.

What committees are going to have the most DRAMA to watch in the second half of the session?

House and Senate Judiciary committees and House Appropriations (although the drama is in numbers there).

What bills have y’all seen that would be the most impactful to young people? Good and/or bad.

Our top pick: HB 154, the housing fairness tax credit, which would give young people who rent a financial break on their property taxes.

Our current least favorite: HB 413, a bill that has the potential to prevent students from voting based on a change to how state residency is established.

What is the most unhinged thing you’ve heard so far this session?

The number of times one legislator in the House Judiciary said ‘penis’ into the mic during a bill debate.

What is the most truly SHOCKING thing you have observed this session?

The confidence with which some legislators speak when using discriminatory language.

There were so many bills before the session even started, who decides which ones are going forward? Who has the power to move bills?

Any legislator has the power to move bills, but it is really committees that either stops a bill or keeps it moving.

What is your favorite bill that has been introduced this session?

There have been some great policy proposals, but one of our favorites was SB 220 from Sen. Windy Boy, which would have dramatically expanded access to vote in rural and Indigenous communities across the seven Indian Reservation areas.

Have you seen our legislators’ personal lives impact their

100%. Legislators bring up their personal lives all the time when talking about why they will or won’t support a policy.

Could you describe, in three words, what the people in the senate and house are like?

Senate: Working through feels.

House: A rollercoaster ride.

WATCHLIST

Bills are moving! Here is what we are watching.

On Monday, March 17, we start with a voting rights attack from Rep. Gillette, HB 413. This bill would change the eligibility laws for potential voters and undermine out-of-state college students’ ability to register and vote in Montana. HB 413 will be heard in Senate State Administration – the committee meeting starts at 3pm. Sign up to testify, or message the Senate State Admin committee before the end of the week. Tell them to vote NO on HB 413.

On Tuesday, March 18, we are so excited to testify in support of SB 224 Create Indigenous Peoples Day, from Sen. Shane Morigeau. This bill would finally establish a statewide holiday on the second Monday of October – to honor the histories, cultures, and contributions of contemporary Native peoples. SB 224 has its second hearing in House State Administration, which meets at 10am. Sign up to testify or message the committee before the end of next week. Tell them to vote YES on SB 224.

On Wednesday, March 19, Rep. Karlen will present HB 154 in Senate Taxation. This bill would provide for tax credits for homeowners and renters earning less than $150k annually, helping offset rising property tax costs. Through HB 154, renters would receive relief based on a portion of their rent attributed to property taxes. The committee starts at 9am. Sign up to testify or message the Senate Tax committee before the end of next week. Tell them to vote YES on HB 154.

NO HERO AND VILLAIN

Since legislator’s didn’t meet for most of this week, we have no hero or villain to share. We will leave you with Montana making the national news – for demonstrating the power of courage, relationships, and speaking up.

What the Helena Issue 9: March 3rd-7th

Posted on March 7, 2025March 8, 2025 by Dara Deines

Toplines: The Culling of the Bills; Session Halftime

Wow! We are officially halfway through the 69th Montana Legislative Session and like the last few sessions, well, it’s been a lot. While the lows have been really low, from disgusting anti-trans bills to disparaging comments about young people and attacks on our impartial courts, we have seen a battery of bad bills. There have been a few glimmers here and there with a strong fight to see Medicaid continue as it currently exists, housing bills that could actually help renters, and a couple heroes who continue to fight for the next generation.

We know it’s been a long 9 weeks which is why it is important to rest and recharge over the transmittal break. We are so proud and grateful for everyone who has engaged with the session so far, whether at a rally, giving testimony, submitting written comments, or calling legislators- THANK YOU for showing up. ❤️

EVENTS AND GATHERINGS

Monday, March 10 from 6-7pm Wilson Hall, Bozeman- Come join the MSU FMT Club Meeting for community, crafts and civic engagement! We will meet in Wilson 2105 from 6-7pm every other Monday!

Tuesday, March 11th from 5-6:30pm at Studio Wheelhouse- We are partnering with Studio Wheelhouse to bring you a monthly Craft and Act event! Every second Tuesday of the month from 5-6:30pm, come to Wheelhouse to craft, build community, learn about current events, gain resources, and participate in calls to action.

Friday, March 14th from 11am-1pm at the UC Branch Center- UM Student Group meetings are a place to decompress, talk out strategies, and for organizers and activists of all different realms to come together to a political home, and be in solidarity and community!

Tuesday, March 18th from 6-7:30pm at the Headwaters Confluence Center join us in partnership with TransVisible Montana for our Queer Skillshare: Vision Boarding! Together, we will learn how to use vision boarding to help us clarify our goals as a community, envision success, stay motivated, and strengthen our focus through our art. What are your dreams as an LGBTQ+ Montanan? All supplies will be provided!

THE CULLING OF THE BILLS

We’ve reached the transmittal deadline – the day general bills cease to move if they have not met one criteria: successfully passing through one chamber to the next.

To truly appreciate the importance of this moment, let’s review how far we’ve come. Of the 4,440 bill draft requests, at least 1,400 received official bill numbers and hearing dates. Of those, over 250 bills were tabled in the past 47 days, and many more are now effectively ‘dead’ since failing to meet the transmittal deadline.

So what does this mean for the policies we are following? Well, here are a few highlights on bills that persist, and a few bills to which we can say ‘good riddance’!

HOUSING
One housing victory included Rep. Kelly Kortum’s HB 311, which would require landlords to reimburse any rental application fees that don’t lead to a rental agreement, saving renters hundreds of dollars! After being tabled in committee, Rep. Kortum successfully ‘blasted’ HB 311 to the House Floor, where it received overwhelming support (67-32). This is the only time this session that a tenant’s rights bill successfully landed a second hearing.

Unfortunately, Sen. Greg Hertz’s SB 336 passed through the Senate. This bill, which would restrict local government’s ability to regulate or prohibit short-term rentals in residential areas, received bipartisan support. With a housing crisis impacting many across our state, we are disappointed to see that some legislators support policy that undermines young people’s ability to find and afford stable housing.

CLIMATE
One of the biggest disappointments is the legislature’s rejections of any pro-climate action policy. Instead we are left with bills that seek to undermine our constitutional right to clean air and water, by placing restrictions on implementation of the Montana Environmental Policy Act. The two bills we continue to watch are HB 285 and SB 221, both of which undermine MEPA data collection and decision-making on environmental impacts of certain state projects – like the transport of fossil fuels across Montana counties.

LGBTQ RIGHTS
Feels like we talked about this issue A LOT over the last 9 weeks. But with over 20 bills that directly targeted the LGBTQ community, specifically trans youth, we couldn’t get through a week without hearing vitriolic talking points and outdated ideas.

This week saw three spectacular wins out of the House. First, HB 682 would have placed a 25-year statute of limitations for medical malpractice for ‘gender transition treatment’ – but then was successfully amended down to a 4-year statute of limitation. The sponsor lamented that the amendment effectively gutted his bill. Next, HB 675, this year’s drag ban bill, which the sponsor openly shared is really about targeting transgender people, failed to pass the House (45-55)!

And finally, HB 754 – a violent policy proposal that would have allowed for the removal of trans youth from their homes if their parents allowed them access to any kind of gender-affirming support. Representatives adamantly opposed this, with 71 voting against!

We are relieved to see these wins, and hope you take a moment to thank House reps for their votes! There are several anti-trans bills with House hearings after transmittal – including Sen Fuller’s SB 164 that criminalizes doctors and parents for supporting trans youth and Sen. Glimm’s SB 437 that tries (again) to define sex using narrow and discriminatory terms.

VOTING
We were so excited for two policies that would have improved voting access across the state: SB 8 online voter registration and SB 220 Native American Voting Rights Act. But instead of expanding or supporting voter engagement, our legislature has chosen the path of disenfranchisement.

Our ire is towards three bills in particular. First, HB 395 – this bill would establish the definition of ‘unsound mind’ in our law, and would undermine the voting rights of disabled people. The second, HB 413, would prohibit students and anyone in the state on a ‘temporary’ status from registering to vote, unless they can prove that they will make Montana their permanent home. And finally, SB 490 would tamper with same-day voter registration, prohibiting registration after noon on Election Day.

JUDICIAL ATTACKS
The session started with strong anti-judiciary vibes – and it seems those vibes will continue past transmittal break. We had over 30 bills this session to undermine our impartial judiciary. While we enjoyed the demise of HB 295 and HB 751, both of which would have required judicial candidates to claim a political party, we still have at least one bill moving that seeks to politicize our judicial elections: SB 42.

In addition, we also have SB 385, which would create a new court of judges hand-picked by the governor to oversee certain cases – like constitutional challenge lawsuits.

For more details on what bills our team is still tracking, check out our bill tracker!

SESSION HALFTIME

So, what happens now? Well, legislators will take March 8-13 off from the Capitol, hopefully taking the time to rest, be with their families, and recover from the exhausting agenda of the past week.

According to the Montana Legislative session calendar, the legislative session is back to work on Friday, March 14th. Hearings aren’t over yet – with some bills already receiving dates for their next debate.

The legislative session is slated to last 90 days, so we still have work to do to fight bad policies and pass legislation that invests in housing solutions and economic stability for communities. We hope you take the next week to rest and recover from the first half of the session – and join us March 17th as we continue advocating for a better future for young Montanans!

Have questions about the session? Send us a message at hello@forwardmontana.org. We will take time next week to answer any submissions!

Hero of the Week- Sen. Mike Yakawich (R-Billings)

It might be the lack of sleep, but one senator this week had us crying at our desks.

Remember SB 369, which would expand suicide prevention in schools? The bill was voted out of committee and had a floor debate on Wednesday.

Obviously, this type of legislation is important, but in the debate, one senator vocalized his doubts about prevention resources, hypothesizing that the more we talk about this, the more likely youth may be to engage in suicidal thoughts or behavior.

Senator Mike Yakawich (R-Billings), the sponsor of the bill, used these comments as an educational opportunity for his peers and anyone who happened to be listening. He called out these bad faith comments for what they are – stigma. With earnest compassion, Sen. Yakawich explained how stigma actively prevents young people from seeking help during their mental health struggles.

He shared data and personal experiences of how important it is to check-in with youth about their mental health – demonstrating that we should not be afraid to talk to young people about this topic. And at one point, he declared that talking to a counselor or psychiatrist is something to be proud of because seeking support is an essential, not shameful, action.

Removing stigma saves lives. Thank you to our Hero of the Week, Sen. Mike Yakawich. ❤️

Villain of the Week- Sen. Bob Phalen (R- Lindsay)

Certain conservatives have really chosen to make anti-LGBTQ ideology a foundational part of their work this session. Our team saw this week just how far legislators will go to undermine the progress we’ve made.

Last week we mentioned SJ 15, a joint resolution calling to overturn the ruling that legalized same-sex marriage.

If this wasn’t abhorrent enough, the sponsor Senator Bob Phalen brought a collective gasp to the crowd that showed up to oppose this bill. After over an hour of opponent testimony. Sen. Phalen refused to back down from his hateful rhetoric. Instead, he chose to expound on the ‘anglo-American legal tradition’ and his outdated ideas on the sanctity of marriage, at one point declaring the United States Supreme Court overstepped its bounds and should ‘re-look at what they’ve done’.

He compared the unnaturalness of queer relationships to shoving a straw up your nose to drink, and said that redefining marriage has hurt children in our state. Those are words we think are appropriate to re-share, as his closing remarks were a string of bigoted comments, only made better by the disgust and snarls from community members still in the audience and the multiple objections from Vice Chair Sen. Andrea Olsen.

Not even the anti-LGBTQ Senate Judiciary committee cared for his ideas and voted to table SJ 15. We kindly ask that Sen. Bob Phalen, our Villain of the Week, keep his opinions on the LGBTQ community to himself from now on.

What the Helena Issue #8 February 24th-28th

Posted on March 1, 2025April 4, 2025 by Dara Deines

Toplines: The Pre-Transmittal Frenzy; Up Next in Attacks to the Judiciary; Plus, Watch List + Wins

Events, Rallies and Gatherings

Saturday, March 8th from 3-5pm – Join our partners at Empower MT will be holding a LGBTQ+ Teen Clothing Swamp at the Center in Missoula.

Monday, March 10 from 6-7pm PM Wilson Hall, Bozeman- Come join the MSU FMT Club Meeting for community, crafts and civic engagement! We will meet in Wilson 2105 from 6-7pm every other Monday!

Tuesday, March 11th from 5-6:30pm at Studio Wheelhouse- We are partnering with Studio Wheelhouse to bring you a monthly Craft and Act event! Every second Tuesday of the month from 5-6:30pm, come to Wheelhouse to craft, build community, learn about current events, gain resources, and participate in calls to action.

The Pre-Transmittal Frenzy

If you are casually following along with the legislative happenings, after this week you may be wondering: wtf just happened?!

Starting at 8am on Monday morning and going through Saturday evening, the 8th week at the legislature was an avalanche of initial bill hearings, long hours in committee, and fast-tracked votes, as legislators scramble to get their bills passed from one chamber to the next before March 7th.

This transmittal deadline loomed over the week, as some committees met as early as 7am, hearing and discussing over a dozen bills. In total, legislators heard over 480 bills this week, up from 230 from the previous week and 170 during the last week in January (a month ago).

Rapid fire hearings lead to some frustrating results – like when Senate Judiciary chair Sen. Barry Usher pushed a vote on a tenants right’s bill SB 421 only hours after its initial hearing – ending any further public engagement, resulting in a party-line vote to table the bill.

We anticipate next week’s legislative schedules to be as packed with last-minute hearings and quick decisions. Pace yourself – as we speed towards March 7th, the days might get long as floor agendas fill with last attempts to keep bills alive. Follow along with our bill tracker as we diligently work to keep the community up-to-date through the frenzy.

Up Next in Attacks to the Judiciary

After weeks of waiting, we finally have some updates on the anti-judiciary bills that are attempting to make judicial elections partisan.

Since 1935, Montana’s judicial elections have been nonpartisan. This means that political parties cannot endorse or contribute to them. A nonpartisan judicial system ensures that judicial races remain impartial and protected from the interference of partisan politics. Courts managed by nonpartisan judges uphold the values of fairness and rule of law in the courtroom when deciding criminal, civil, and constitutional cases.

In early February we watched hearings for SB 42 and HB 295, both of which would force judicial candidates to claim a political party affiliation and open the floodgates for partisan money to influence these elections. These bills had their floor debates this week, with mixed results. While we watched some conservatives misrepresented our judicial system by claiming Montana already has partisan elections of judges and calling out advocacy groups by name for voter engagement from the 2024 MT Supreme Court Justice races.

Only the Senate voted in favor of these judicial attacks, with 29 Senators voting yes to move SB 42 on to a House committee hearing, which will likely be held after transmittal break (March 7-13). In the House, representatives rejected HB 295 with 53 voting against it. Shout out to the 15 Republicans and over 70 Democrats voting to protect our impartial judicial system! 🥳

There are two more anti-judiciary bills headed our way in the next week. One, HB 506, would change the Montana Constitution to remove Montana Supreme Court elections entirely, instead giving the power to the governor and a nomination committee to appoint members of the Montana Supreme Court. This bill had a hearing last week in the House Judiciary, and is anticipated to pass through to the floor for debate.

Reminder: bills to amend our Montana Constitution require ⅔ vote to pass through each chamber – this means 67 Representatives will have to vote for it to move on to the Senate. Feel free to message your representatives to confirm they will be voting NO on HB 506.

Finally, we are watching a sleeper bill draft, LC 2372 requested by Majority Leader Steve Fitzpatrick. Draft language indicates that this bill would allow for Montana Supreme Court Justice candidates to indicate a political party affiliation.

Damn, some legislators really aren’t getting it: the majority of Montanans support an impartial judiciary.

WATCH LIST & WINS

What we are closely watching…

Good bills

While awaiting a hearing on another bill, we were excited to learn about SB 369, which would strengthen suicide prevention training and education in schools. As one FMT organizer shared, with all the awful bills that legislators are pushing to ‘protect kids’, this is the first we’ve heard that actually would accomplish this. Please contact senators and tell them to vote YES on SB 369.

Finally, another good housing policy is on the House floor for debate. HB 492, would rein in unnecessary parking mandates for new builds, costing money to landlords which get passed along to renters, accounting for around 17% of a tenant’s rent – that’s $200-$300! This bill will be heard Saturday, March 1 on the House floor. We will update you in next week’s edition where HB 492 goes.

Bad bills

SB 490 had a hearing on Saturday, March 1st in the Senate Judiciary. This bill would limit same-day voter registration and disenfranchise Montanans – disproportionately impacting students, rural voters, seniors, and working families. Interfering with same-day voter registration has already been ruled unconstitutional by Montana courts. Send a message to the Senate and tell them to vote NO on SB 490.

Another bill we’re tracking is SJ 15. This bill is a joint resolution, which is a formal proposal requiring approval from both legislative chambers (i.e. the Senate and the House) – often used to express the legislature’s stance on an issue or make certain official declarations. And in Montana, joint resolutions do not require the governor’s signature.

Why bring it up now, out of 400+ bills in week 8 of the legislature? Do we have a doozy for you. SJ 15 would formally declare that the US Supreme Court must reverse the Obergfell v. Hodges ruling: the landmark case that legalized same sex marriage, which would set us back a decade of progress. SJ 15 has a hearing in the Senate Judiciary on March 3rd at 7am. This is not an issue of states rights but it discriminatory, an overreach and the last thing we need from our legislature.

A disappointing loss…

We were devastated to see the Senate Natural Resource committee table SB 294 on Thursday. This bill, from Sen. Andrea Olsen (D-Missoula) would have required public utilities to create a plan and timeline for how to move towards 100% renewables. Thank you to everyone who called or messaged senators about this bill! We know it is disappointing, and we will continue fighting to ensure legislators understand how important this issue is to Montana’s future.

Some wins!

In the deluge of bills from this week, there were two immediate losers from last week’s villain Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe: HB 555, which spread false information that medication abortion is in our water and harming our environment; and HB 609. which would have created the new crime of ‘abortion trafficking’.

During both hearings, the sponsor and proponents looked absolutely foolish attempting to make their case for suddenly caring about our right to clean water and the importance of criminalizing patients and providers, by presenting made-up scenarios that only exist in pro-life advocates imaginations. Both bills were tabled in committee. We are pleased to see that legislators are ready to accept reality: Abortion is Legal.

Hero of the Week- Rep. SJ Howell (D- Missoula)

Don’t judge us for making another Medicaid champion our hero this week. As we watched Saturday’s floor session, we were shocked to learn that a person on Medicaid gets kicked off their health insurance if they have a temporary change in their monthly income – and then have to reapply once their pay inevitably lowers.

Unlike with private health insurance we can get through the ACA, individuals on Medicaid are expected to report any changes to their income – if they don’t, they risk being disenrolled

This is why, Rep. SJ Howell (D-Missoula) is sponsoring HB 386, which would allow Medicaid recipients to enjoy 12 months uninterrupted coverage! And, Rep. Howell isn’t stopping there. In HB 601, they are asking the state to create a Medicaid portal, which would expand support for Medicaid applicants and enrollees across the state.

In a true bipartisanship, Rep. SJ Howell has worked with Republicans to get HB 386 and HB 601 passed through committee, with continuous eligibility passing its first House Floor vote 53-47! We are obsessed with affordable health care and appreciate that our hero Rep. SJ Howell is, too.

Want to help these two bills get out of the House before March 7th? Call the Switchboard at 406-444-4800 and leave a message for House representatives: Vote YES on HB 386 and HB 601!

Villain of the Week- Rep. Caleb Hinkle (R- Belgrade)

To be honest, with so many hearings, we were overwhelmed with options this week. From Rep. Kelly (R- Kalispell) disparaging folks who are struggling economically, to legislators debating bill after bill that attack our voting rights.

After hours of committee and house discussions, it was the vile words that crawled from the mouth of this week’s villain that had us in disbelief. Rep. Caleb Hinkle stood in front of the House Judiciary on Friday morning and used his time at the mic to spit gross and offensive lies, backed only by his own hateful ideology.

Rep. Hinkle (R-Belgrade), when closing on HB 675 – this year’s drag ban bill – chose to use such violent and hateful language against the transgender and intersex communities, we are tempted to make Chair Amy Regier (R-Kalispell) his villain sidekick for how she allowed such contemptuous garbage onto the record.

Rep. Hinkle invoked malicious and offensive stereotypes about transgender people, and it has us declaring: enough is enough. Comments like these cannot be allowed to stand. Rep. Hinkle’s disgust for transgender people is only matched by our disgust for his hateful beliefs. It is for these remarks that Rep. Caleb Hinkle is our villain of the week.

What The Helena #7 February 17th-21st

Posted on February 22, 2025February 28, 2025 by Dara Deines

Toplines: Session Vibe Check; Hands off our Voting Rights; Watch List +Wins

Events, Rallies and Gatherings

Forward Montana legislative team will have our final zoom event next week. We’ll walk you through what’s happening at the Legislature around housing policy, share how to give public comment, and answer any questions you have about the session! Join us on Thursday, Feb 27th at 6pm for our Housing issues session with Sage, our Housing and Voter Engagement Organizer

Join the MSU Forward Montana club for community, crafts and civic engagement! We will meet MSU Bozeman in Wilson 2105 Monday, February 24 at 6pm to 7pm. Sign up here! Can’t make it the 24th? We meet every other Monday! Join us another time 😊

Join Forward Montana for a Bozeman Black History Month Celebration at The Cultured Community Center, Tuesday, February 25 at 5:30 to 7pm. Come join us as we learn about the history and significance of quilting in the African American community! We will end the evening with an update from the legislative session and how the community can get involved!

Join Forward Montana and Queer Bozeman Saturday, March 1st 12:30-2:30PM at Bozeman Public Library (virtual option available!) for an informative session and panel discussion on how you can find your power during this uncertain and challenging Montana legislative session. RSVP here

Session Vibe Check

As previously mentioned in Jan.11 and Feb. 7 blogs, the senate this session has had some tense moments in debates about leadership, rules, and ethics. We saw the next chapter in this political tension unroll at the beginning of this seventh week.

In an evening session on Monday, one senator released a legion of motions into the mic, which had the floor in debate for over three hours. What is a motion? A motion occurs when a legislator asks for a vote on a procedural action – moving a bill around, re-doing a bill vote, or shifting the make-up of a committee – but in each instance, a motion requires floor debate and a vote from the chamber.

Senator Josh Kassmier (R-Fort Benton) stood on Monday and began the slew of motions with a request to change the committee placement for three other senators. Despite pointed objections from the Majority Leader, this motion passed 27-23.

And that is the vote that held for motion after motion, as senators painfully processed over 21 procedural votes to shift committee members and move bills into Senate committees that had previously been held up in the process. Senators demonstrated all 5 stages of grief as they coped with this long list of motions – from jokes into the mic to calling each other out, a small section of conservatives decided against professionalism.

The tension isn’t only in the Senate these days. On Wednesday, the House chamber debated HB 371 from Rep. Kmetz, which would ban the use of mRNA vaccines (like Covid vaccines). Some conservatives stood to spread misinformation about vaccines, using time at the mic to say such ludicrous statements like mRNA vaccines can be spread person-to-person through saliva or that almost 30% of youth experience heart damage after vaccination. We were heartened to see the representatives reject these falsehoods. Legislators from both parties stood to oppose this bill, which ultimately failed 34-66 – that is 24 Republicans and 42 Democrats voting in favor of keeping our communities safe!

Clearly, Republicans are not a monolith – with some Republican legislators still willing to respect their oath to serve, even while extreme conservatives yell down at their colleagues and throw temper tantrums during floor debates.

As of Friday, Feb. 21, legislators only have 10 days left to get general policy bills introduced, have their first hearing, and get transferred to the next chamber, before they die in the process. The transmittal deadline is March 6th. We are anxious to see how legislators prioritize important bills on housing, climate, and education.

Hands Off Our Voting Rights

We know that there are barriers to voting access in our state – which is why we are so annoyed that legislators are bringing bills to undermine that further.

Let’s start with HB 413, which would revise election laws regarding residency and is 100% voter suppression. This bill would change the current eligibility laws and ban certain individuals from registering to vote. It states that out-of-state college students, military trainees in Montana, and temporary workers in the state do not have equal rights to vote in state elections.

For reference, residency is currently established after someone lives 30 days in the state, but according to the sponsor and proponents, if students and temporary workers haven’t decided yet to make Montana their forever home, they shouldn’t be allowed to influence local and state elections.

Next, HB 410, which would require a minimum expectation of voter turnout in local elections for bonds and levies. Why is this nefarious? If a bond or levy is on the ballot and receives support from voters but voter turnout doesn’t reach 35%, then it doesn’t pass, dismissing the validity of the votes cast. Is voter turnout in local elections a struggle? Absolutely. Does this bill seek to support voter outreach? No. Does this bill seek to disenfranchise voters? 100%, which is why it is despicable.

This undermining of elections has been a session-long push, with some conservatives, specifically those from the Senate Select Committee on Judicial Oversight and Reform, attempting to undermine our impartial judiciary by pushing for partisan elections of judges with bills like SB 42 and HB 295. But we were pleasantly shocked this week, when Chief Justice Cory Swanson, in his address to the full legislature on Monday, called for judicial elections to remain nonpartisan! 🎉

Both SB 42 and HB 295 passed through their first committees but have yet to appear on agendas for full floor debates, we wait to see how this proclamation will influence decision-makers on these partisan policies.

Finally, we are disappointed to share that HB 395 passed through committee this week. This bill threatens to disenfranchise thousands of voters, specifically individuals living with disabilities or brain injuries. It is on the House floor for debate on Saturday Feb. 22nd. We will update you next week on where it goes from here.

Let’s end with a gem: SB 220, the Native American Voting Rights Act. This bill was introduced by Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy and had its first hearing on Monday. We couldn’t hold back our excitement during testimony because this bill would do so much to expand voting access in our state – and to communities that were previously targeted by voter suppression tactics.

SB 220 would establish permanent satellite elections offices on each of the seven reservations within the state. Not only that, it would support more folks’ eligibility to register and vote by accepting nontraditional addresses, allowing the acceptance of tribal IDs, and increasing the number of ballot boxes in rural reservation communities.

We must have everyone fighting to get this bill passed. Call or message Senators and tell them that they must get SB 220 passed through the Senate. Find your Senator here and leave a message here!

WATCH LIST & WINS

What we are closely watching…

Good bill

HB 484 from Rep. Kelly Kortum (D-Bozeman) would revise Montana’s minimum wage laws by increasing the state minimum wage from $6.15 to $12.06 per hour! This bill has its first hearing in House Business and Labor on Monday, February 24th at 8am. Sign up to give testimony or submit comments to the committee this weekend!

Bad bills

SB 299 from Sen. John Fuller (R-Kalispell) would mandate that school districts must alert and gain consent from parents to discuss related to sex education, including gender identity. Sen. Fuller claims that teachers and guidance counselors are tearing families apart by pushing students to keep secrets from their parents. We think Sen. Fuller should stop targeting trans youth and the people who support them. Message legislators on Senate Education and tell them to vote NO on SB 299.

HB 446 from Rep. Jedediah Hinkle (R-Belgrade) would update the laws on indecent exposure, allowing anyone to claim their ‘dignity’ has been violated if they encounter a transgender person in a public changing room. During committee debate, conservative legislators shared that public spaces require further regulation because of the ‘threat’ transgender people pose to other people in the community. This bill heads to the House floor and we need every Representative to hear that this bill is violent towards trans people. Tell representatives to vote no on HB 446.

HB 400 from Rep. Braxton Mitchell (R-Columbia Falls) would legally protect anti-trans behavior in public schools and agencies – and most notably includes language around the definition of sex that a Missoula District Court judge ruled on Tuesday is unconstitutional. The House floor debate contained the same repeated hateful remarks against trans people. We are so grateful to Reps. Howell, Stafman, Zephyr, Romano, and Powers who stood and raised their voices in defense of trans youth.

And a win!

We forgot to share a win with you from two weeks ago: SB 210, which would have removed the requirement for a student regent on the board of regents, was tabled in committee! So glad legislators agreed that this bill would undermine youth voices and access to decision making.

Hero of the Week- Sen. Jacinda Morigeau (D- Arlee)

We know that engaging in the legislative session for most of us is inconvenient and confusing. Hearing times fluctuate, the bills are confusing, what is even happening with the online portal, etc. And this results in bill hearings without essential voices in the room.

At the hearing for SB 299, a bill claiming to protect youth from certain school subjects (see above), we saw testimony mostly came from people well past their youth. While we understand that parents want to know what their children are learning about, we also believe it is vitally important for young people to have their voices centered in the discussion.

Which leads us to our Hero of the Week: Senator Jacinda Morigeau who pushed back against Sen. Fuller’s ‘protect the children’ rhetoric during questions from the committee. She called out how the bill undermines youth rights, and got Sen. Fuller on the record saying that he cares more about upholding his idea of traditional family values than the rights of youth in Montana.

In a room full of people who, one conservative legislator described as people who may not remember what it was like to be a youth, Sen. Morigeau refused to back down as she questioned the legal and moral validity of this type of legislation.

And this isn’t the first time we’ve seen that Sen. Morigeau has our backs. In other bills, she has pointed out how the policy will impact young people across our state. We are so grateful for how Sen. Morigeau continues to uplift the power and importance of youth.

Villain of the Week- Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe (R-Billings)

We know y’all have been waiting for this one – so you won’t be shocked to see that this week’s villain is Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe.

Unusual fashion choices aside, what we find most disgusting about this legislator’s actions is her insistence at being the face of the anti-trans movement in the Capitol building, tied only with Senator Fuller in the number of anti-trans bills introduced. She also takes every opportunity to spew hatred and misinformation into the microphone to alienate and disparage transgender and intersex people in our communities.

On Thursday, she set an indignant tone during her opening for HB 300 during the Senate Judiciary hearing, claiming that she was there to support the ‘biological reality’ that men’s bodies are just bigger, better, and stronger than women’s bodies – which has us questioning whether she really is the best advocate for women’s equality.

During the afternoon floor debate on HB 400, the bill that would prohibit public schools and agencies from implementing policies to protect LGBTQ individuals, Rep. Seekins-Crowe stood to share her views on the importance of protecting (cis) women and children from transgender ‘ideology’.

We have spent weeks listening to her irate speeches, and were finally pushed over the edge when she decided to champion a bill that would expand the criminal code and focus on criminalizing individuals who seek abortions, or as the bills calls it: abortion trafficking. Through HB 609, patients and those who support them in accessing care could be criminally charged and possibly incarcerated, if the patient receives an illegal abortion. This bill has a hearing next Wednesday, February 26th. Please join us by testifying against this unconstitutional nonsense.

Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe may claim to be an advocate for women, but she is working hard to undermine the power and rights of everyone, including cisgender women. And for this reason, she is our villain of the week.

What The Helena #6 February 10th-14th

Posted on February 16, 2025February 28, 2025 by Dara Deines

Toplines: Slate of Hate, Republicans Attack MEPA, Big Things Coming Our Way; Plus our Watchlist + Wins

Events, Rallies and Gatherings

Forward Montana legislative team will be hosting a series of zoom events. We’ll walk you through what’s happening at the Legislature around LGBTQ+ Rights, Reproductive Rights and Housing!

LGBTQ+ Rights Session: 2/18/2025 with Morgan, our LGBTQ+ and Voter Engagement Organizer
Reproductive Rights Session: 2/20/2025 with Taryn, our Reproductive Rights and Voter Engagement Organizer
Housing issues session: 2/27/2025 with Sage, our Housing and Voter Engagement Organizer

Stand with us to protect our access, our wildlife, and our freedom to enjoy our way of life. Public Lands Rally February 19th 12-1PM at the Capitol Rotunda Helena.

Join us at Shine for a Housing Happy Hour to talk about how we can build the most affordable, sustainable, and accessible future in Bozeman. February 20th from 5:30-7PM Shine Beer Sanctuary

Join us in Missoula on February 24th from 6-7:30PM at the Center for our first Stitch and Bitch of the year! Bring your current project while you gather in an environment of support, create community, and build collective power through arts n’ crafts! A hodgepodge of embroidery, knit/crochet, and collage supplies will be available.

SLATE OF HATE

We continue to face disgusting and misinformed anti-trans bills this session. We think we speak for every trans person when we say: it is time to address our housing crisis, rather than sit through another hearing full of obtuse and witless people debate trans rights.

Conservative talking head Rep. Braxton Mitchell (R-Columbia Falls) is pushing HB 400, which would prevent public institutions (e.g. public schools, public libraries, etc) from protecting students and employees from anti-trans discrimination. If this sounds familiar, it is because this bill builds off last session’s HB 361 – which made it law that misgendering and deadnaming students is not legally discriminatory behavior. So much for keeping youth safe.

Now, HB 400 would expand this to prohibit public institutions and agencies from implementing policies that would prevent this type of discriminatory behavior. *Sigh* For a party obsessed with ‘protecting’ children, they continue to demonstrate they are committed to harming transgender youth – and adults.

Committee Republicans threw bad faith questions at opponents, which included backhanded insults when allies to transgender students didn’t fall for Republicans’ ‘gotcha’ questions.

As we prepared for HB 400, we saw Rep. Jedidiah Hinkle (R-Belgrade) has introduced a violent piece of legislation focused on continuing his obsession with other people’s genitalia. HB 446 would update the laws on indecent exposure – allowing anyone to claim their ‘dignity’ has been violated if they find themselves in a bathroom or changing room with someone who they believe to be a transgender individual.

The bill depends on someone seeing another person’s genitalia and deeming it out of compliance with what they think their bits should look like. Our dignity is violated just typing that sentence out. 😞

The reason we think this bill is violent? It would open transgender people up to criminal penalties, including incarceration – a threat to the economic stability of trans people and their families. We’ve heard that Republicans cannot handle learning about and respecting the diversity of our communities. But that doesn’t give them the right to undermine people’s safety. No one has that right.

Have you ever shared a bathroom or changing room with a transgender person without issue or complaint? Our legislators need to hear from you!

HB 446 has a hearing on Monday, February 17th at 8am in the House Judiciary Committee. Sign up to testify and share your story about how simple and easy it is to share spaces with transgender individuals!

Republicans attack MEPA

It was a rough week for climate policy. Take a breath of clean air, while we still can. Let’s talk about MEPA. What is it? The Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) has been in Montana law for over 50 years, and it requires that government projects receive environmental reviews to determine any impacts this project may have.

And in case you haven’t been following along in this climate fight, MEPA is an especially hot topic because of a landmark Montana Supreme Court decision last year – that affirmed that MEPA is essential to uphold our constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment. The court also said that limitations to MEPA would be unconstitutional.

Yet, we watched senators debate SB 221 from Sen. Trebas, which would significantly limit the environmental analysis under MEPA by narrowly defining what is considered a fossil fuel activity requiring a greenhouse gas emissions analysis. This is exactly what the courts said is inappropriate limitations on MEPA. In a devastating bi-partisan vote of 37-13, this bill passed through the vote on the Senate floor – and will now head to the House.

It wasn’t any better in the House. On Wednesday, February 12, representatives heard two different bills to undermine our constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment.

First, HB 285 to eliminate MEPA as a mechanism to implement the Right to a Clean and Healthful Environment. It would repeal language that says MEPA is supposed to prevent harm and remove the requirement that we should consider the long-term productivity and health of the land when considering the long-term impacts of the project. This bill passed through the House floor on a party-line vote.

A second bill, HB 291, would prohibit the state from regulating greenhouse gas and other air pollutants, unless the federal government does it first. If you didn’t know, our Montana constitution has stronger protections for maintaining a healthy environment. We watched in dismay as Democrats joined Republicans to vote in support of undermining our ability to regulate what pollutants get released into our beautiful Big Sky. HB 291 passed through the House floor and will receive a hearing in the Senate soon.

To uplift what we heard in Rep. Karlen’s response to this set of anti-climate bills: what MEPA does is collect information. We should collect the information we need before making decisions that have permanent impacts on our land, on our water. And this must include information about impacts on the climate. Collecting information helps to make an informed decision.

Big Things Coming Our Way

There are two big bills that will be heard on Monday, February 17th.

In the Senate State Administration, Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy will present on SB 220, which will establish permanent satellite elections offices and enable the use of non-traditional addresses, allowing for more eligible voters on reservations and in rural Native American communities to have equitable access to voting infrastructure.

HB 245 will receive its hearing in the Senate Public Health Committee. As a reminder, HB 245 is the bill that removes the sunset date on Medicaid programs, ensuring these essential programs continue. If you haven’t yet, share your Medicaid story here.

Watchlist & wins

Bad bills still moving:

HB 395, which would undermine the voting rights for individuals with disabilities, brain injuries, or cognitive decline. This bill would disenfranchise thousands of Montana voters. Learn more at Disability Rights Montana. Contact the House State Admin committee and tell them to vote NO on HB 395.

SB 101, which would undermine the judicial eviction process and allow landlords to call law enforcement to remove a tenant from a property, is still in the House Business and Labor committee. Please contact representatives on that committee and tell them to vote NO on SB 101.

Good bills still moving:

SB 224 would create a statewide Indigenous Peoples Day, a simple and straightforward bill that at its core aims to celebrate and honor the past, present, and futures of Native peoples. It is awaiting a vote in the Senate State Administration committee. Message Senators and tell them to vote YES on SB 224.

HB 311 would mandate that landlords and property management companies reimburse rental applications of individuals who didn’t end up receiving a property lease. With rental applications fees adding up to hundreds of dollars, it is time to reimburse applicants. This bill is awaiting a vote in the House Judiciary committee. Message Representatives and tell them to vote YES on HB 311.

SOME WINS!

HB 83 – PASSED THROUGH SENATE. This bill will establish a special fund for the MMIP task force, ensuring we have more resources to fight the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis.

HB 288 – TABLED IN COMMITTEE. Even some co-sponsors ended up voting against the bill, once they learned more about the negative impacts. Quite literally titled “Recognize obligation of fatherhood and provide for child support during pregnancy”

SB 146 – TABLED ON SENATE FLOOR. In a squeaker, 26 (of 50) Senators voted against this bad housing policy.

Hero of the Week- Sen. Janet Ellis (D- Helena)

One of the biggest issues that Montana legislators need to address this session is access to health care. We think everyone should have access to affordable and comprehensive care. But apparently, senators Carl Glimm and Jeremy Trebas strongly disagree.

Sen. Glimm stood Tuesday on the Senate floor with SB 62 to declare that it is time to phase out Medicaid programs and provide for a soft ‘unwind’ of anyone currently on Medicaid. All for the good of our state budgets, but refused to consider the real economic implications this would have for over 80,000 people in our state. This bill was voted down, 20-30. Phew.

But, the next day, Sen. Trebas, R-Great Falls stood up to declare that he had the solution for phasing out Medicaid (SB 199), ignoring the clear vote against this idea from the previous day.

It was Senator Janet Ellis who stood up on Wednesday and said the quiet part out loud: This bill is actually a backhanded way to put current Medicaid programs at risk – and would undermine their continuation.

Sen. Ellis called out how many of these arguments have been around what work requirements should (or should not) be included in Medicaid, but these arguments are in no way to what these bills are about. This argument is about whether we think it is a good investment of our state dollars to ensure everyone in our communities can get access to care.

By putting on the record, Sen. Ellis made it clear that a ‘yes’ vote for phasing out Medicaid is a ‘yes’ vote for turning our backs on low- to no-income community members. We were relieved that SB 199 failed – although the vote was closer than we really liked (23-27).

We are so grateful for Sen. Ellis for standing up for health care access in our communities!

Villain of the Week- Rep. Braxton Mitchell (R-Columbia Falls)

Rep. Braxton Mitchell had a busy Friday morning. First, in the House Judiciary, he presented on HB 400, which would undermine the ability of public institutions (e.g. schools or agencies) from implementing policies to prevent discrimination against transgender people.

With an opening speech about the harm of asking people to use pronouns, Rep. Mitchell made it clear that he believes some people in our community deserve the right to bully and mistreat others.

After taking up too much time debating whether students should be taught kindness and respectful tolerance of others, Rep. Mitchell was late to his next hearing in a different committee. But he seemed unfazed as he introduced this second discriminatory policy – HB 395.

This second bill would undermine the voting rights of individuals by creating a new definition in law on ‘unsound mind’. This broad definition casts a condescending and uninformed net that compromises the rights of individuals with disabilities or those living with brain injuries or cognitive decline.

After listening to personal stories and advocate testimony, Rep. Mitchell dismissed opponents as ‘wrong’ – without having any actual words to back up that assertion. We are disappointed to see Rep. Mitchell using his voice and position of power to push such harmful policies. This is why Rep. Mitchell is our villain of the week.