Efforts to override the governor’s veto of a bill aiming to reform Montana’s child welfare system failed by just a few votes.
House Bill 37 was championed by its supporters as a bipartisan product of two years of work over the interim.
It would have required that caseworkers obtain a warrant before removing a child from their home, and require that children in removal cases be appointed their own attorneys. It would change state law so that substance use and disorderly living conditions do not equate to physical or psychological harm, and require courts to schedule initial hearings more quickly.
Gianforte vetoed the bill, writing that the emergency exceptions to the warrant requirement were too narrowly defined and would put children at risk for significant harm.
Republican Rep. Jennifer Carlson of Manhattan carried the bill and said in a statement she’s disappointed in the outcome, calling it “critically necessary” reform. She said lawmakers will continue to work on the legislation through the next interim, and noted other child welfare bills succeeded.
For example, the requirement that children be appointed their own counsel and the creation of a task force on the issue passed in separate bills.
