Montanans pay $100,000 for legislative hubris and abuse of power
In the current political landscape, Republicans have a supermajority in both houses of the Montana Legislature. In 2021, legislative leaders hastily passed an illegal bill in the final hours of the session, disregarding constitutional provisions designed to prevent such actions.
Senate Bill 319, a minor bill on campaign finance, was referred to a free conference committee in the closing days of the legislative session to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions. During the meeting, without public input, the committee added amendments to the bill preventing voter registration on university campuses and requiring judges to disqualify themselves from cases where a party or their attorney had made a legal campaign contribution. The amended bill was then rushed through the Legislature on straight party-line votes and signed into law by the governor.
The Montana Constitution serves as a check on legislative power, promoting transparency, participation and debate for both the public and legislative members. The Constitution prohibits amendments to bills that extend beyond the original subject matter and restricts multiple amendments that exceed the original title of the bill.
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