Toplines: Medicaid bills are off! Plus pro-housing bills that support renters, judicial attacks explained, climate advocacy day and another incoming anti-trans bill.
We’ve made it through the third week! It’s impossible to be in the building right now and not feel the hectic energy as this session hurdles along. Brace yourself – this one is a little spicy.
How to Submit Public Comment
As with most things related to the State of Montana there are always changes. If you want to submit a public comment or virtually testify this session it works a bit different. Here are the steps you need to take!
- Make an account by going here
- You’ll see several options to select, throughout this session we will be directing you to the Standing Committee section to either testify remotely and/or submit testimony (public comment).
- We will direct you to specific bills or committees to address either as an opponent or proponent. We will do our best to make it clear what we are supporting and what we strongly oppose.
Stay engaged this session and make your thoughts known to your legislators! Looking for some pointers on giving public comment? We’ve got you covered with a handy one pager on best practices.
Events Across the State
Bozeman Stich and Bitch: 2025 Visioning Edition Friday, January 31st from 6-7:30PM at the Bozeman Office. Join Forward Montana at our first Stitch and Bitch of the year! Bring your own craft to work on or use provided collage supplies to create a 2025 vision board. Join us to craft, discuss the legislative session and build community, and eat FREE snacks!
MSU FMT Club Meeting Monday, January 27th from 6-7:30 PM Wilson Hall. Looking to get involved on campus? Join the MSU Forward Montana Club for our first meeting of the semester. Come hang out, make some fun crafts, write comments to your legislators and get to know more about FMT!
Medicaid Bills are Moving!
Are we starting at the middle of the week for this update? Yes, and only because it’s so important to mention: Medicaid bills are on the move! Renewing Medicaid programs is one of the top issues this session.
The last session to debate Medicaid was in 2019. And despite valiant efforts, that bill contained a ‘sunset’ date of June 2025. Now legislators need to draft and pass Medicaid legislation that will ensure these programs continue – and maybe to improve upon the programs?
The first Medicaid hearings took place on Wednesday afternoon, starting with long-time Medicaid advocate Rep. Ed Buttrey’s bill HB 245. This bill does two things: lifts the sunset, and expands resources for workforce development
The second bill HB 230, sponsored by Rep. Mary Caferro, not only lifts the sunset but seeks to expand access to programs, by recommitting to continuous eligibility and reopening Offices of Public Assistance to support Medicaid recipients in navigating the process of enrollment.
For both bills, the hearing room could barely contain the numerous proponents, from hospital lobbyists, health care advocates, to community members from across Montana who came to share their Medicaid stories. And the best part? No one dared show their face in opposition to these essential, life-saving programs. Congratulations to everyone who worked their asses off to make these two hearings a success!
It’s not too late to reach out to committee members on House Human Services to demand a do pass for Medicaid. Head here to submit public comment!
Pro Housing 🤝 Pro Renter
This week we heard two bills that center on alleviating the strain of housing costs for renters.
#DYK that over 30% of Montanans are renters? And many people under 35 not only rent, but have begun to assume they may never have a chance to own a home. While we hope that we build a future for expanded home ownership, we need legislators to include renters in their solutions for our housing crisis.
Which is why we are so grateful for Rep. Jonathan Karlen (HD96-D) , who introduced HB 154. This bill would establish a housing fairness tax credit, and is one of the only bills we’ve seen that includes renters.
Background: Property taxes are one of the top housing issues in our state. They are what tax experts call a ‘regressive’ tax – meaning the tax is applied uniformly, which results in larger takings from low-income individuals than from middle- or upper-class people. This can have a significant financial burden on individuals who do not have the coin to cover the costs.
Rep. Karlen’s bill would create a tax credit to alleviate this cost burden on both homeowners and renters, who of course cover property tax costs through their rent. Most legislators (and advocates) rarely include renters in their conversations or proposals.
As stated by proponents, tax credits like HB154 connect property taxes to income levels, thus reducing the burden on Montanans who may currently be between jobs, going to school, or a primary caregiver. Tax credits are the most targeted solution to property tax affordability.
Young Montanans need money to access education, training, and other opportunities. This tax credit could make this happen. Want a deep dive in tax policy? Go to our partner’s at Montana Budget and Policy Center.
Earlier that same day in the Senate, Sen. Mary Ann Dunwell (SD42-D) presented her bill to update the tenant move out laws. This bill could have clarified what counts as normal wear on a rental – and adds that, if a tenant has stayed for more than 2 years, they cannot reasonably be charged for some things (i.e. carpet replacement). Unfortunately, this bill was tabled in committee.
Spark Notes: Judicial Attacks
Our team spent the last week digging into the 27 bills from the Senate Select Committee on Judicial Reform. Overall, the bills focus on politicizing the courts, undermining their authority, and removing their jurisdiction on certain cases. We assume most of these bills are nefarious in one way or another, based solely on the drafting process. Here are the 6 that stood out to us as the most egregious.
House Bill 39 would repeal the law that prevents parties from contributing to judicial candidates – allowing for an influx of partisan money to shape our judicial elections.
Senate Bill 13 would remove the MT Supreme Court from having jurisdiction for ballot review – slowing down the process for statewide ballot initiative language approval and shortening the window for signature gathering.
Senate Bill 21 would allow legislators to circumvent a judicial mandate to fulfill their official duties when they are refusing or failing to do so. It doesn’t stop there. If a legislator refuses to comply, they would be safe from further judicial response i.e. being held in contempt of court for refusing a court order.
Senate Bill 42 would provide for the partisan election of judges and justices. We mentioned this one last week. This dangerous policy would inject an extreme amount of partisanship into our judicial system, which by its very nature should only be about applying the facts and the law to cases, not partisan consideration. SB 42 is an extreme threat to undermine our impartial judicial system, the rule of law, and the ability for Montanans to pursue justice.
Senate Bill 52 would create a new court, made up of individuals appointed and funded by the governor. And that’s not the worse part. This new court would hear constitutional cases, land use cases, and business disputes. I think we can all see the problem here. Governor handpicking judges to determine whether discriminatory bills are unconstitutional. Also, making a new court would be expensive for the state.
And finally, Senate Bill 97 purports to prevent the practice of ‘judge shopping’; that conservatives claim is currently being done in constitutional challenge cases. But instead, this bill would create both prejudice in the process and increased risk of partiality by allowing localized politics to influence these legal disputes.
We aren’t lawyers, but we do know many. So send us your questions, and we’ll continue to keep you updated on the conservative’s attempt to undermine the authority and impartiality of our judicial system. If you don’t like the idea of a partisan judiciary, submit comment to your legislator here!
Trans People are Eternal
Despite what legislators said last week during the House floor debate on HB 121 – that trans and queer people are part of a woke agenda to undermine our longstanding cultural norms of gender and sexuality, we all know that we have been here forever and will exist well into the future – pending any total climate disaster – but even then… We are frustrated to see that Sen. Fuller, one of Montana’s top transphobes, has a hearing next week on his latest bill targeting trans people.
Senate Bill 164, revises offense of endangering the welfare of children, and seeks to criminalize doctors, parents, teachers, or anyone else who facilitates getting a child the health care they deserve.
Despite the innumerable debates on this topic, we don’t think that legislators even get what gender affirming care for youth is. And we are not going to uplift their ignorant talking points here. Trans youth and their parents should not face additional barriers to accessing care.
But no matter if you agree trans people deserve safety and access to care: everyone should see how fucked it is that elected officials think they can end the privacy between medical professionals and parents seeking care for their children.
SB 164 will be heard on Monday, January 27th in the Senate Judiciary starting at 8am. We ask that if you are an ally to trans people, you submit public comment or provide virtual testimony. Let’s show the Senate Judiciary how angry this hateful bill makes us.
Montanans Rally for Climate Change
On Friday, climate advocates gathered at the State Capitol in Helena for the second annual Climate Advocacy Day, organized by Families for a Livable Climate and over a dozen other groups. The event brought together community members and climate leaders to push for action on climate change and protect Montana’s natural beauty.
Attendees heard from speakers impacted by climate change, learned about clean energy solutions, and connected with organizations statewide advocating for the climate. Afterward, they attended an afternoon committee where many gave public comment in support of HB 229 to update Montana’s Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) following the Held v. Montana court ruling.
The event highlighted the growing momentum for climate action and the power of collective advocacy. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this event a success!
Hero of the Week- Sen. Susan Weber (D-Browning)
Once we heard about Sen. Susan Webber’s SB 107, we knew we had found our hero of the week! The bill would expand K-12 education to include teaching students about how to identify and avoid human trafficking. If passed, it would task the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) to develop activities and curriculum for all ages.
Sen. Webber shared the devastating statistic that while Native people make up 6.7% of the Montana population, they make up over 30% of the missing and murder cases. Up to this point, we have seen a lot of bills focused on data collection and supporting law enforcement response in cases of a missing person. But this bill focuses on prevention through education – by empowering the K-12 students in understanding this issue.
Prevention and education are some of the best tools to keep our communities safe – we were excited to see that the majority of committee members agreed! This bill is headed to the Senate Floor for debate, where we hope it continues to receive overwhelming support.
Villain of the Week- Rep. Lukas Schubert (R- Kalispell)
We had many options for villain this week – the legislature allows for a broad range of harmful behavior and gross misinformation. But this week, one villain stood out amongst the crowd: Rep. Lukas Schubert (HD8 – R).
Rep Schubert horrified us when he pushed a petty amendment to prohibit the allocation of state funds towards the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Peoples’ task force. Last week, in our Hero of the Week, we shared in more detail about HB 83 – and the years’ long process to get it adequate funding.
On Thursday, the Kalispell representative stood on the House floor and regurgitated alt-right conservative talking points, like ‘woke agenda’, in an attempt to cause damage to this necessary bill. It had us thinking maybe he slept through his Indian Education for All instruction. Either way, after his unsavory spectacle, he only got 3 other Republicans to vote with him, and the bill passed through the House without any changes.
Maybe in his summer reading, Rep. Lukas Schubert can browse an Indigenous Justice book list to avoid further amendment blunders. Until then, we hope that he keeps his anti-Indigenous sentiments off the mic.
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