Montana Legislature

A Gallatin County District Court Judge last week ruled that the state cannot enforce three laws on college campuses passed during the 2021 legislative session. The laws ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports; prohibit groups from registering voters in dorms or dining halls; and craft new guidelines for harassment and free speech policies on college campuses.

A trial is underway in Yellowstone County over three new Montana election laws. Plaintiffs focused their first arguments on barriers to voting in Indian Country.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has joined 21 other states in suing the Biden Administration over new guidance that could withhold funds from states that are found to discriminate against LGBTQ youth.

Montana Republicans are zeroed in on the races for two state Supreme Court seats this election cycle which could decide the future of access to abortion in Montana.

With the next legislative session still six months away, Montana Democrats are eyeing a surplus in the state budget of more than a billion dollars. They’re proposing investments in affordable housing, child care, mental health and property tax relief.

Just hours after President Joe Biden issued an executive order aiming to protect access to abortion nationwide, a longtime Montana state lawmaker participated in a roundtable discussion on abortion access with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Former Montana Lt. Attorney General Kristin Hansen died Thursday morning at the age of 52. Hansen had served as the right hand to Attorney General Austin Knudsen since he took office in January 2021.

A proposed constitutional initiative that would have capped property taxes for residential owners has not garnered the signatures needed to appear on the November ballot, according to unofficial results from the Montana Secretary of State’s office.

The Montana Supreme Court has ruled that the state Legislature does not have the authority to legislate gun rules on college campuses. The justices struck down part of a new law that would have expanded concealed carry rights on campuses.

This week, Montanans celebrated the 50th anniversary of the state’s constitution in Helena. The two-day celebration came with a warning: the document’s legacy is not guaranteed.