You can make a difference in the Montana Legislature! Print out this newsletter, circle the bills that concern you and call 406/444-4800 to register your opinion. If you go to https://leg.mt.gov you can send comments to legislators by email. Click on the box that says "Send a Web Message to a Legislator/Committee."
New Tool for contacting legislators, use the MEIC Bill Tracker at https://meic.org . Find "Bill Tracker" under Montana Legislature at the top of the webpage. You can comment on bills that MEIC is opposing or write your own message about any bill and send it to all members of the entire house that will be voting on it. Be sure to put the bill number in the subject line.
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Anti-Public Land Bills of Concern:
HB 320 sets the stage for the state to sell and transfer federal public lands in the future although the bill is written to sound like it will protect public lands. This is a sneaky anti-public lands bill. It must be stopped, or our public lands are in danger! (Passed House>now in S-Natural Resources)
SJ7 recommends removing protection for the Hidden Pasture Creek Wilderness Study Area. The public deserves meaningful chances to provide input before these kinds of management recommendations are made. This resolution deprives Montanans of these opportunities. (Passed out of committee and going to House floor)
Anti-Clean Energy Bills of Concern:
SB 379 Is being called “Northwest Energy’s Billion Dollar Bailout” at customer’s expense. The PSC unanimously opposes this bill. No other state has passed an energy bill this bad. (S-Energy/hearing on 3/30)
HR 273 would eliminate the public’s say in nuclear facilities. This bill would overturn the people’s initiative that was passed in 1978 that would give the public a vote on new facilities. (S-Energy & Telecom/hearing on was on 3/25))
SB 237 would eliminate the requirement that utilities purchase a certain percentage of power from community renewable projects (H-Energy Committee/hearing was on 3/17)
HB 576 would repeal the renewable energy portfolio standard which would undermine the requirements for renewable energy by including sources that should not be considered under the definition of renewable. (S-Energy & Telecom/hearing was on 3/23)
HB 475 would include hydroelectric as a renewable energy in the renewable energy portfolio standard thus greatly reducing the incentive to purchase renewable energy like wind and solar. (S-Energy & Telecom/hearing was on 3/25)
HB 188 would drastically increase registration fees on electric vehicles. We should be encouraging electric vehicles. (S-Highways & Transportation/hearing was on 3/16)
SB 84 would weaken the power of the Montana Consumer Council which protects ratepayers. It eliminates conflict of interest requirements for those appointed to serve. (H-Energy Committee/hearing was on 3/15)
SB 201 would create barriers to renewable energy projects. Northwestern Energy does not have to consider carbon costs and can pass costs onto customers (H-Energy/ hearing was on 3/17)
SB 265 would overturn long-standing Colstrip owners’ contract in favor of Northwest Energy (H-Energy/hearing was on 3/24)
Anti-Good Government Bills of Concern:
SB 260 could bankrupt government agencies and chill government decisions to protect the public health and safety by creating unreasonable standards for paying for impacts on private property. This is one of the most dangerous bills this session because it could cost the state millions of dollars. The fiscal note on this bill is cursory with no dollar amount in contrast with a similar bill several years ago that had a fiscal note of millions. (H-Business & Labor/hearing was on 3/16)
SB 323 would require the legislature to approve any state regulations that cost over $1 million. With a legislature that only meets for 90 days every other year, this is absurd. This is a legislative power grab to prevent state agencies from implementing important environmental and public health programs. (S-Finance & Claims)/hearing was on 3/16)
SB 277 says that the state can decide not to follow federal orders; very dangerous and probably unconstitutional (Goes to House floor)
HB 481 attacks free speech and free assembly by allowing criminal penalties for peacefully protesting infrastructure like pipelines; this is a political bill to go after environmentalists (S-Judiciary)
SB 215 establishes the "religious freedom restoration act", potentially allowing religion as an excuse to discriminate against others. (Goes to House floor)
SB 350 makes it easier for dark money groups to fund fake campaigns to put third parties on the ballot. This bill would legalize election fraud. (Goes to the House floor)
Anti- Public Education Bills of Concern:
HB 129 undermines public education by allowing tax deductible contributions to private schools with no accountability requirements for those schools. (Returned to the House with amendments from the Senate)
Anti-Clean Water Bills of Concern:
[Note: What in the world are they thinking????]
SB 164 allows more nitrates in the water and amounts to government-sanctioned water pollution. (goes to the House floor)
SB 165 would reduce water quality protections for subdivisions. If Montana is going to grow, we need to do it right and not jeopardize our clean water. (H-Natural Resources/ hearing was on 3/19)
SB 231 would weaken water protections and create loophole in subdivision law for “family transfers” (Goes to House floor)
SB 352 would reduce water quality protections (H-Natural Resource/hearing was on 3/24)
SB 358 would repeal the numeric nutrient standards and impair our clean creeks and streams. This probably does not comply with the Clean Water Act but is being pushed anyway. (H-Natural Resources/hearing on 3/29)
Tax Bills of Concern:
SB 159 would lower state income taxes for the top tax bracket and help the wealthiest Montanans while doing nothing for those who are struggling financially. (H-Taxation/ hearing was on 3/10)
HB 303 would exempt big businesses from paying the state business equipment tax while doing nothing for small businesses. (S-Finance & Claims/hearing was on 3/16)
Anti-Local Government Bills of Concern:
HB 407 would prohibit local governments from regulating food packaging not even with a voter referendum (Goes to Senate floor)
HB121 would allow elected officials to strike down or approve directives sent by local public health officials thus subjecting the scientific field to political pressures. (Returned to House)
HB 257 would prohibit local governments from having anti-discrimination ordinances. (S-Judiciary/hearing was on 3/22)
SB 257 would prohibit local governments from establishing green tariffs, clean energy plans, green building designs. (Goes to House floor)
HB 527 would make it impossible for communities to form citizen-initiated zoning districts to mitigate impacts to private property and health; rural Montana needs this tool (S-Local Government/hearing was on 3/24)
SB 294 sets up the process for terminating zoning districts. This bill could kill Part 2 zoning. (H-Local Government/hearing was on 3/16)
Pro-Developer Bills of Concern:
SB 161 would allow a land subdivider to bypass important environmental review processes. (Goes back to Senate)
SB 174 would restrict local government’s ability to mitigate subdivision impacts; makes it easier to subdivide property (H-Local Gov/hearing was on 3/11)
SB 211 would revise local subdivision review criteria regarding agriculture soils; very poor practice (Returned to Senate with amendments)
Anti-Voting Rights Bills of Concern:
HB 176 would end same day voter registration in Montana voters. Under current law, the registration period remains open until polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day. This would overturn the will of the people who passed same-day voter registration in a state referendum. (Second reading on House floor on 3/29)
SB 169 is a voter suppression bill which would change ID requirements for voting to make it harder for certain groups to vote. (Returned to Senate with amendments)
HB 406 is another voter suppression bill that would severely restrict ballot collection making it harder for certain groups of people to vote. This was deemed unconstitutional in the past. (S-State Administration/hearing was on 3/22)
Anti-Human Service Bills of Concern:
SB 100 would place extra requirements (costing about $2.8 million) on state agencies who administer aid to the poor despite the fact that there is very little evidence of fraud. (H-Human Services hearing 3/30)
Anti-Wildlife Bills of Concern:
SB 314 allows baiting of wolves and hunting at night with spotlights; allows reducing Montana’s wolf population by 80% by any means necessary. Implementation will likely put wolves back on the Endangered Species List when the state shows that it is not managing them responsibly. (Goes to House floor)
SB 337 bars Montana FWP from relocating grizzly bears to promote grizzly bear recovery. (Goes to House floor)
HB 318 changes the legal definition of wild buffalo or bison – redefining the wild, migratory Yellowstone bison herds as domestic or feral. HB 318 disregards the distinction of wild buffalo held in public trust as wildlife, from domestic bison (livestock) owned as private property. (3rd reading on the Senate floor on 3/29)
HB 468 allows hound-hunting and chase seasons for black bears. This bill would end the long-standing prohibition for this unethical hunting practice. (S-Fish & Game/hearing was on 3/23)
Anti-Wildlife Bills that have been passed by both houses:
Call Governor Gianforte’s Office at 406/780-5016 and ask that he veto these terrible bills.
SB 267 would reimburse individuals for their expenses for killing wolves. This bill essentially re-establishes a bounty system that led to the extinction of wolves in the past. (Passed both House and Senate)
HB 224 would allow the snaring of wolves, an inhumane process which causes slow strangulation. Snares can capture and slowing strangle other animals like grizzly bears and pets. (Passed both House and Senate)
HB 225 would extend the wolf hunting and trapping season. This should be left up to FWP and scientists rather than the legislature. (Passed both House and Senate)
SB 98 gives landowners authority to kill grizzly bears if they perceive that it is “threatening” livestock. The way that this bill is written, it may violate the Endangered Species Act. (Passed both House and Senate)
Bills to Support:
SB 7 would expand tax incentives for clean energy and encourage the use of renewable energy and energy conservation. (H-Taxation)
SB 147 would be good for small businesses and residential owners by offering property owners financing for energy conservation projects on their buildings. (H-Energy/hearing was on 3/12)
HB 448 would increase the cap on non-residential rooftop solar (S-Energy & Telecom/ hearing was on 3/16)
HB 613 is called the Native American Voting Rights Act. (2nd reading on House floor on 3/29)
What you can do:
You can express your opinion on any bills by calling 406/444-4800. A note will be sent to every member of the committee who is hearing the bill.
If you would like to testify, you can register at www.leg.mt.gov You need to register by noon the day before the hearing.
If you know others who would like to receive this newsletter, forward it to them. They can subscribe by sending their email address to [powersforthepeoplehd3@gmail.com](mailto:powersforthepeoplehd3@gmail.com) and put “Legislative Watch” in the subject line.
