Alerts & Actions
MHRN 2023 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY, WEEK 11
Here’s the plan for the second half of the 2023 Montana Legislative Session:
1. Keep writing and testifying.
2. Ask for help when you need it!
3. Stay hydrated.
We’re looking ahead to some tough hearings and votes, but we have a lot of hope. Some moderates are pushing for amendments to terrible bills like SB 99 (trans youth healthcare ban) and SB 109 (gerrymandering Public Service Commission districts). Others are seeing the hostile atmosphere in the session and are deciding to reject extreme bills. Please take a few minutes to send messages on the topics that matter to you.
REMEMBER when you send a message using the legislature’s online message and testimony forms, you need to indicate whether you support or oppose a bill! You’ll find tips on sending messages below.
KEEP READING FOR ACTION ITEMS ON LGBTQ RIGHTS, PROTECTING DEMOCRACY, AND INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY!
LGBTQ+ Rights
The Slate of Hate is now made up of 6 terrible bills, which you’ll see below. Our priorities for the week are SB 99, which has a hearing on Monday in the House Judiciary Committee, and SB 458, which is infamous for being the worst anti-transgender bill in the country. Both bills are attempts by extreme legislators to micromanage Montanans’ personal lives and punish people for being who they are.
SB 99 cuts off families with transgender children from accessing the medical care they need to be happy and healthy. SB 458 is a sweeping bill that codifies a male/female gender binary and would ban marriage equality and refuse to recognize the existence of transgender, nonbinary, Two Spirit, and intersex people. Current medical knowledge on gender diversity would be ignored, and everyone would be forced into categories of male and female based on outdated and unscientific definitions of sex.
You can use this link to tune into Monday’s hearing on SB 99, but we recommend that you do not listen to testimony from bill supporters. It will be filled with misinformation and hostile statements that you do not need to hear.
Allies, please step up and take 10 minutes this week to write legislators in opposition to these bills. We will let you know when they have hearings so you can testify!
No on SB 99 – Ban on healthcare for transgender and nonbinary youth. Please send messages to your Representative and the House Judiciary Committee.
No on HB 234 – Attempts to classify diverse stories and books as “obscene” and punish school librarians for having them in school libraries. Please send messages to the Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee.
No on HB 303 – Allows medical providers and institutions to discriminate against patients without consequences. We are waiting for this bill to be assigned to a Senate committee.
No on HB 359 – Ban on drag shows. We are waiting for this bill to be assigned to a Senate committee.
No on HB 361 – Free pass for bullies to deadname and misgender fellow students. Waiting for a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee; please tell them to vote no.
No on SB 458 – A 61-page bill that attempts to erase the existence of transgender, nonbinary and Two Spirit people, eliminate marriage equality, force trans and nonbinary people to misgender themselves on identity documents, and much more. Recently it passed the Senate on 3rd reading and will be transmitted to the House and assigned a committee.
Indigenous Sovereignty
Many bills supporting Tribal Sovereignty and recognizing Indigenous culture have passed with solid majorities, but we can’t take votes for granted. Montanans have bypassed Indigenous rights and priorities for too long, so let’s show support for these bills.
Yes on SJ 6 – Outlines the terrible history of Indian boarding schools in Montana and requests a National Day of Recognition. This bill had a hearing in the House Energy, Technology, and Federal rRelations Committee this week, so please send them and your Representative a message.
Yes on SB 119 – Offers a tax exemption for Indigenous landowners who are changing the status of the private land they own on a reservation to trust land. This is one small factor that helps undo decades of land theft that occurred from the Dawes Act of 1887. This bill will have a hearing in the House Taxation Committee at 8am on Tuesday. Please tell this committee to vote yes.
Yes on HB 18 – Establishes a training program and grant fund for missing people. This is headed to the governor’s desk for approval! Please contact the governor’s office.
Yes on HB 163 – Extends the MMIP task force for two more years. We will let you know when this bill is assigned to a committee in the Senate.
Yes on HB 317 – Montana Indian Child Welfare Act, which would keep Indigenous children with their families, communities, and culture. We will tell you when a hearing is scheduled in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Yes on HB 338 – Indian Education for All Act reinforces the requirements to teach public school students about the past and present of sovereign Tribal nations in Montana. We will let you know when this bill has a hearing in the Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee.
Defending Democracy
This week and every week, we’re tracking bills that would impact free and fair elections, the right to vote, equity in our judicial system, and more.
No on HB 405 – This bill is lifted from pro-militia groups and would allow a tiny fraction of county residents to convene a grand jury against someone. We need strong opposition to this bill. The idea of citizen convened grand juries is not based in law and order or the desire to create better government or accountability. Instead, this concept largely originated in extremist circles back in the 1960s with the antisemitic and antigovernment Posse Comitatus. This idea was then picked up and carried forward through the 1990s by anti-government groups like the notorious Montana Freemen. For the past few years, Tactical Civics, a national militia group from Texas, has been trying to start chapters in Montana using this as a central organizing issue. House Bill 405 is about putting this anti-government mechanism into the Montana Constitution. This bill will have a vote in the House Judiciary Committee next week.
No on SB 222 – Bans diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) education and trainings for state employees. DEI curriculum helps state employees better serve Montanans from all backgrounds. Many DEI trainings are focused on helping people understand difficult chapters of history in Montana and the United States. State employees should not be restricted from learning about historical facts regarding coordinated polices to justify land theft, genocide, and discrimination against Indigenous, Black, Asian-American, Latinx, Jewish, and other marginalized people. This bill has a hearing in the House State Administration Committee on Monday. Please tell them to vote no on this bill.
No on SB 109 – Sen. Keith Regier (R-Kalispell) amended this bill right before transmittal, and it creates gerrymandered Public Service Commission districts. Towns and counties would be split up in a way that will give an advantage to extremists over moderates. This will lead to decisions that are influenced by partisan agendas over consumer needs. This bill has a hearing at 3pm on Monday, March 20 in the House Energy, Technology, and Cultural Relations Committee. Please tell that committee to vote no.
Reproductive Rights
The number of anti-choice bills going through this legislative session is unprecedented. We’ll keep you updated on these mills and others as they have hearings and crucial floor votes.
Yes on HB 302 – Requires insurance companies to provide coverage for a 12-month prescription so people have fewer gaps in coverage and reduce the likelihood of unintended pregnancies. This bill has a hearing in the Senate Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs Committee at 8 am on Wednesday, March 22. Please tell the committee to vote yes.
No on HB 213 – Attempts to establish fetal personhood. Please tell your Senator to vote no.
No on HB 625 – a repeat of LR-131, which was soundly defeated by Montana voters. We will let you know when this is scheduled for a hearing in Senate Judiciary.
No on HB 575 – a forced birth bill which does not allow for abortion in the case of rape or incest and attempts to make providing an abortion a felony charge. We will let you know when a hearing is scheduled in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
No on HB 721 – Mischaracterizes and attempts to ban abortion procedures that are needed in emergency situations. We will let you know when a hearing is scheduled in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
No on HB 786 – Creates unnecessary bureaucracy and government interference related to medication abortion. We will let you know when a hearing is scheduled in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
If you have questions or need help with talking points, please reach out to us at team@mhrn.org!