2025 MTLeg Weekly Debrief: 1/6-1/10

This week we identified 30 Key Bills focused on the 3 core policy areas we are watching: Education, Property Rights, and Judicial Reform.

SB 42: Provide the partisan election of judges and justices
Sponsor: Senator Daniel Emrich
Status: Introduced

HB 28: Clarify Timelines & Opening Procedures for Public Charter Schools
Sponsor: Representative Dave Bedey
Status: Hearing Scheduled 1/8 @ 3pm in House Education Committee

SB 31: IOLTA Bill providing interest back to client
Sponsor: Senator Barry Usher
Status: Introduced

HB 84: Revise liability, training for prescribed fires
Sponsor: Representative Steve Gist
Status: Introduced
Note: HB 84 follows Frontier Institute’s recommendations to clarify prescribed burn liability standards while protecting against potential damages.

SB 43: Generally advise injunctive powers of the judiciary
Sponsor: Senator Daniel Emrich
Status: Hearing Scheduled 1/9 @ 9am in Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 41: Require substitution of district court judges by random selection
Sponsor: Senator Daniel Emrich
Status: Hearing Scheduled 1/9 @ 9am in Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 40: Revise supreme court public records laws by opening deliberations and files to the public
Sponsor: Senator Greg Hertz
Status: Hearing Scheduled 1/15 @ 9am in Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 30: Revise laws related to the Judiciary and rule of necessity
Sponsor: Senator Tom McGillvray
Status: Hearing Scheduled 1/14 @ 9am in Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 45: Create a judicial performance evaluation commission and system
Sponsor: Senator Tom McGillvray
Status: Hearing Scheduled 1/16 @ 9am in Senate Judiciary Committee

HB 30: Requiring the Supreme Court to apply a burden of proof for challenge to constitutionality of legislative act
Sponsor: Representative Lee Deming
Status: Hearing Scheduled 1/15 @ 8am in House Judiciary Committee

HB 35: Allocating judicial standards commission to the department of justice
Sponsor: Representative Fiona Nave
Status: Hearing Scheduled 1/15 @ 8am in House Judiciary Committee

HB 36: Disallowing judge to serve as chair of judicial standards commission
Sponsor: Representative Fiona Nave
Status: Hearing Scheduled 1/15 @ 8am in House Judiciary Committee

HB 39: Repeal law disallowing parties from contributing to judicial candidates
Sponsor: Representative Tom Millett
Status: Hearing Scheduled 1/8 @ 9am in House State Administration Committee

HB 52: Generally revising administrative procedure laws relating to agency deference
Sponsor: Representative Lee Deming
Status: Hearing scheduled 1/15 @ 8am in House Judiciary Committee

HB 65: Audit State Bar of Montana
Sponsor: Representative Lee Deming
Status: Hearing scheduled 1/15 @ 8am in House Judiciary Committee

SB 13: Remove Supreme Court original jurisdiction for ballot review
Sponsor: Senator Daniel Emrich
Status: Hearing scheduled 1/9 @ 9am in Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 14: Audit Office of Disciplinary Council
Sponsor: Senator Barry Usher
Status: Introduced

SB 15: Revising grounds for impeachment
Sponsor: Senator Tom McGillvray
Status: Introduced

SB 16: Allowing legislative committees to find contempt for violation of legislative subpoena
Sponsor: Senator Mark Noland
Status: Hearing scheduled 1/14 @ 9am in Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 20: Prohibit retired judges from hearing constitutional cases
Sponsor: Senator Jason Ellsworth
Status: Hearing scheduled 1/14 @ 9am in Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 21: Allowing legislative and executive leadership to vacate a writ of mandamus
Sponsor: Senator Barry Usher
Status: Introduced

SB 38: Generally revise laws relating to attorney fees and prevailing parties for veto overrides
Sponsor: Senator Greg Hertz
Status: Introduced

SB 39: Generally revise attorney fee awards
Sponsor: Senator Greg Hertz
Status: Hearing scheduled 1/15 @ 9am in Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 47: Enhance committee review of statewide ballot issues
Sponsor: Senator Wendy McKamey
Status: Introduced

SB 48: Generally revise laws relating to Judicial Standards Commission complaints
Sponsor: Senator Carl Glimm
Status: Hearing scheduled 1/14 @ 9am in Senate Judiciary Committee

SB 49: Exempt lawyers serving in certain public offices from professional disciplinary measure and proceedings for actions taken while in office
Sponsor: Senator Barry Usher
Status: Introduced

SB 52: Create Montana Court of Chancery
Sponsor: Senator Tom McGillvray
Status: Introduced

SB 90: Redistribute certain state tax revenue to primary residence property tax relief
Sponsor: Senator Carl Glimm
Status: Introduced

HB 20: Require voted levies to be in dollars rather than mills
Sponsor: Representative Larry Brewster
Status: Hearing scheduled 1/7 @ 7am in House Taxation Committee

SB 101: Revise laws related to squatting
Sponsor: Senator Becky Beard
Status: Introduced

*Our MTLeg Weekly Debrief is meant only to help our subscribers follow along with key legislation related to these 3 issue areas that we feel deserve extra focus. The legislation listed in each weekly update will NOT necessarily represent legislation we support or oppose.